


Jacob's Imprint

by Wallabyway



Series: Jacob's Imprint [1]
Category: Twilight, Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hidden Love Triangles, Imprinting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 11:47:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 93,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2347409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallabyway/pseuds/Wallabyway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jacob's got a problem. He imprinted on a dude, which alone is detrimental, and the dude happened to be his worst enemies's brother, Emmett Cullen. Which is weird, you know? But what makes matters even more awk is that Paul imprinted on Jake. Listen, I was confused on how it works, myself. You'll love it, you'll hate it, you'll hate me, you'll love me, whatever. As long as you read it. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Imprint

_**Hope's you enjoy it!** _

Jacob Black sits at the overcrowded table in the middle of Sam and Emily's Kitchen.

Like most days, Emily, being the sweet person she was, made breakfast for the pack before they ventured out on their patrols, and as usual, they devoured it all.

Paul and Jared bicker over the last French toast stick. Embry finishes off his third stack of Pancakes and moves towards his fourth. Quill and Seth empty the scrambled egg bowl, as Leah stands a midst the doorway nibbling on a muffin. Sam stands by the stove with Emily in his arms as he watches his brothers throw down.

Now ordinarily, Jacob would be in on the family breakfast feud; fighting for the last French toast and all, but not today or for the past few days. He’s been a little indifferent lately, barely speaking or joining in on Pack bonding time.

Sam eyes his Beta from across the room. He wonders what’s bothering him.

Emily feels him tense slightly, and looks up to his face. “What’s wrong? She asks quietly.

Sam sighs gently. “Jake seem off to you?”

Emily’s eyes follow her soul mates.

Jake eats his food silently, glancing up every once and awhile to watch his brothers, but his eyes stay downcast.

She blinks. “Yeah…” She looks back up at Sam. “Talk to him, see what’s up” Sam nods and plants a kiss on her forehead before taking a step over to the table.

Jacob feels Sam move before he sees him, and when he looks up, Sam is standing by the door. He nods towards the outside and walks out onto the porch.

**Jacob's P.O.V**

I exhale. What does he want now?

I get up fast and put my plate in the sink. Em rubs my shoulder with a small smile. I smile back as kind as I can, and turn to walk out. Paul eyes me weirdly as I pass. Leah glares.

Sam leans against the outer far rail of the porch.

I take a few steps past him and look up.

He stares at me for second. “What’s going on?”

I shrug. “Nothing…” I look up at the doorway and see all eyes on me. “I’m just tired” I say.

He studies me a little, and then nods toward the paths leading into the trees. “Well, come on. I’ll walk you home” He starts walking. I fall in beside him.

He’s quiet. Our feet crunch the autumn leaves that fell months ago.

“I don’t want you running patrols tonight” He says. “Noticed the guys have been slacking off some. I’ll take it”

I kick a pebble and watch it fly a few feet into a bush. "Thanks" I mumble.

A rumble of thunder growls across the sky. He glances up. “Sounds like rain…” It’s never a surprise here, especially on The Rez. He inhales. “Listen, if there’s something you want to talk-”

I cut him off. “There isn’t. I’m okay” He studies me again. I smile just the slightest.

He nods. “Okay” I half expect him to turn back, but he continues strong in his stride.

We clear out of the trees and cross the street to my house. By the time we get to the door, it’s started to drizzle. I can hear Dad talking on the phone through the paper thin walls. I walk backwards to the door.

Sam just watches me, trying to decipher me out. “Even though you say you’re okay, doesn't mean that you are” He says.

I sigh. “Sam…” I want to tell him, I do. I just… I can’t. “I’m good. Don’t worry”

He nods. “Well, I’m here, for whatever’s bothering you”

I turn. “Will definitely keep that in mind”

“Alright. Well, I’ll catch you later” I turn and watch him walk back through the trees. With an exhale, I go inside. Dad is in the Kitchen, so that gives me a 3 second interval to dash to my room before he wheels out. I’m halfway the hall when he rolls out.

“Hey, Jake” He says. “You’re back early…?” His questions blow me.

“Sam gave me the day off” I mutter, walking down the hall.

“Well, okay…is something wrong?” He calls after me.

“No, I’m fine” I go in and shut the door. I slide down against it to the floor. I lay my head back against the wood and cover my face. “Shit…” I want to tell Sam I imprinted, I do. I just… I can’t. It’s so wrong. Everything is wrong!

I just…I can’t tell him, anyone I imprinted on… I exhale and cover my face. Fucking Emmett Cullen… I’m not even gay! Okay, yeah, I've seen the entire pack ass out, but we all have, and I've never caught feelings for any of them!

“What’s wrong with me…?” I groan, rising and kicking off my shoes. I fall on the bed face first and just lay there. Maybe there will be an earthquake and the ground will just swallow me up.

Worst thing is I haven’t even told him yet. I’m planning on it, but every time I get my words straight, everything boils down to shit.

The force of the rain picks up and drums against the roof and my window. That’s the only thing I remember before I loll off the sleep.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Jake!" Dad yells outside the door. "Jacob!"

"Yeah, yeah?" I growl. My eyes feel groggy and the room is darker, but the bed has grown softer so that is all that matters.

"Let's go!" He says. “ I don’t wanna be late!”

“Wha…late for what?”

"I told you Charlie’s hosting the game tonight, Steelers verses Green Bay, remember?”

A yawn ripples through me and everything begins to feel comfortable again. “Oh, yeah…”

"C'mon!" He yells again, shattering all hopes of sleep again. Once he starts, he won’t stop.

I exhale and push off the bed and snatch my shoes off the floor. Whatever.

I've decided that driving in the rain at night is not on my list of favorite things to do. Like, at all. Driving to get to Forks in this is tough as hell. I can barely see the road with the water that's building up.

Then Dad’s yelling about every single thing! “Watch that pot hole! Jesus, Jake! Slow down! Are you trying to get us killed?...Watch out for that deer!” No, really. What the hell is a deer doing darting out on a damn near dark road in the middle of a freaking downpour?

By the time we pull up at Charlie’s, the rain has slowed to a drizzle again and the danger zone has significantly decreased.

I roll Dad up to the steps and onto the porch. I contemplate just leaving him here and coming back, but I will never hear the end of it if I do. The door swings open and there’s Charlie looking crazed and wild as ever. “Billy Bob Black! What took you so long?” And it is definitely the alcohol wafting off of him that’s making him so loud.

Dad rolls his eyes and elbows me. “Try having a Grandma as a shofar” I arch an eyebrow.

Quite truthfully we got here in under 10 minutes with his badgering, but I bite my tongue. Charlie reaches out his hand. “Hi’ya doing, Jacob?”

I shake his hand. “Chief Swan” His grip is stronger than Sam’s, damn!

“Hey, Bella’s upstairs, if you want to go on up?” He offers.

I shake my head. “Nah, I’m not staying, but tell her hello for me”

He nods and takes a swig of his Heineken. “Hey, Black, Swan, you’re missing the kick off!” A Local shouts from inside. It’s a full fledge party inside. They’ll be here all night. I can smell the pints of beer and Buffalo wings from here.

“We’re coming, we’re coming, Jack!” Dad rolls on in without a look back at me. Charlie chuckles and turns back inside. The door shuts.

I turn and inhale the humid air. I jiggle my pocket for the keys. There’s no point of driving back home just to come back and get him.

I glance around the neighborhood. Everybody’s into the game and almost every light at every house is on. I walk around the side of the house. Nobody can see me phase from out here. The whole downstairs is lit up and the windows are open, but everybody’s attracted to the TV.

I look up to Bella’s window which is closed, but lit up. I start to unbutton my pants and then there’s that sound of wood against wood as a window goes up. Well, shit.

“Jake?” I look up to Bella’s smiling face.

“Hey, Bells” I drop my hands at my sides to not seem as awkward, but I fail.

“Hey yourself” She smirks. “What’re you doing out here?”

I shrug and glance around. “Uh…phasing, mostly. I gotta uhm get going. Sam needs to run some patrols tonight” I lie. I’m not avoiding her, it’s just…I don’t know.

“Well, could you come up for a minute? Felt like I have seen you in forever” She swipes a strand of hair out her face.

“Uhm…actually, I gotta…” I point my thumbs behind me to the trees.

She huffs and starts to speak, but stops. “Hold on” She says and turns inside. “Really?” She asks whoever. “Stop”

I glance around and sigh. There’s that disgustingly beautiful black Volvo parked sweetly a few cars from mine. Of course. Edward.

I take a step backward to the tree line.

“Wait!” She stops me dead in my tracks. I feel like that deer on the road. “Your seriously not gonna come in?”

I shrug. “I mean, it looks like you have company, and I’m really not a fan of crowded rooms, so...”

Her smile drops. “Jake” She whines and God, do I hate that whine.

I exhale and rub the sweat from my face.“Alright, back up some. Like, waaaay back” I wave her back.

She giggles and disappears from the window sill. I run up against the wall, hop along the tree and swing into the window. And there’s she is in a white shirt and jeans with the biggest annoying smile ever.

“Showoff” She laughs, hugging me.

Standing on the other side of her bed is none other than Dracula himself. He glares daggers.

Once she lets me go, I step back and rest against the wall. I cross my arms. “So what’s up?”

She shrugs and sits on the bed. “Nothing much, same old, same old” She scoffs. “You?”

I shake my head. “Nothing much” Everything really.

She nods a little.

“Was I interrupting something?” I have to ask.

She rolls her eyes. “Stop it” She looks at Edward. “Between the both of you, I swear to God…”

There’s muffled feet moving up the stairs and down the hall. Edward glides to the computer desk and takes the seat. Bella hides her smirk with a glance my way. Charlie burst through the door. His eyes automatically lock on Edward. I bite back a grin.

“Anybody hungry?” He goes. “Burgers, hotdogs and chicken downstairs?” All the aroma’s from downstairs creep in like a gas chamber.

Bella exhales. “Dad, like, we’ve been through this” She gestures at the door with glaring eyes.

He throws his hands up. “I know, I know. Supposed to knock before I enter”

She rolls her eyes again. “Right. I’ll be down in a minute” There’s a ‘please get the fuck out’ underlying in her tone.

He sighs and glances at me. Bella sighs. “Alright, I’m going” He mumbles, taking a swig from fresh bottle before he disappears down the hall.

She turns to me. “Hungry? There’s other stuff down there”

My stomach growls. “Starved” Crazy how I’ve barely eaten at all today. She nods before rising and grazing Edward’s arm with her hand before she slips through the door.

Super. Fucking super.

“I’m sure this time will go by quicker without the theatrics” He says.

I exhale. “I told you before and I won’t tell you again. Stay out of my head before I rip yours off, simple”

He chuckles darkly. “In your wildest dreams” He stands and examines one of Bella’s pictures on the wall, one he’s had to see a hundred times already. “It’s new, actually” He says without looking at me.

I grit my teeth to keep from hopping over the bed. He turns and stares at me coldly. His eyes are locked on me and he’s looking like he’s seeing right through me.

“What the fuck are you looking at?” It’s fucking uncomfortable and irritating.

He blinks and shrugs too coolly. “Nothing” He glances down at his leg and back at me. He leans against the wall.

I turn away from him but I can still feel his fucking smoldering eyes burning holes in my face.

He has the same smoldering golden irises as Emmett. Hm. I exhale.

Wait…shit! I look and he has the perfect poker face, clear of whatever he’s thinking. Or what I’m thinking.

“You know, don’t you…”

He runs a hand through his hair. “Jacob, listen…”

“What the fuck!” Shit, shit, shit! “Why can’t you just stay out of my fucking head!?” No, no, no. He can’t know. “You can’t know!” My heart is thundering, I can’t do this! He doesn’t say anything, only watches. I close my eyes and scrub at my face. I exhale a long breath.

“Listen, I’m sorry. Your right, I shouldn’t know and I shouldn’t be in your head at all-”

“That’s bullshit!” I shout. He blinks slowly and crosses his arms. “I doubt you want the entire house to hear this, so keep your voice down”

I turn away from him. I clench my jaw shut. What the fuck!

“When I read minds, I’m able to hear and see whatever’s lingering in someone’s head…” He pauses. “I only know what I’ve seen” I close my eyes. Thanks, Jacob Black, you fuck up. Might as well tell the entire world, now, huh? Shit.

I exhale and swallow my heart that feels like it’s in my throat. “Does he know?” I have to know.

He sighs. “No” I chew on my lip.

“Will you tell him?”

He doesn’t answer so I look at him. His face is smoother than before, calm. Fucking understanding, even. “No, I won’t” He shrugs smoothly. “That isn’t my place” The embers of his eyes seem to burn right through my soul.

He fucking knows.

“Will you tell him?” He asks. I roll my eyes on instinct, but…will I? It’s a question that’s been bugging me since…since it happened. I shake my head.

“Jacob…”

“Shit, I don’t know!” I growl. I sit in the window sill.

He simply sighs and unfolds his arms. “I won’t force you to decide. That’s entirely up to you” He says, his voice low.

I bite my lip. “Gee, thanks”

“And honestly, we may be enemies and I know you have your family and friends and Bella, but whatever you decide, I’m with you”

I look at him. “With me?”

He nods. “As support, Bella and I both will”

I blink and chew on my tongue. He’s a fucking leach and this is definitely not how I anticipated Sunday night to go, but… I sigh. It’s better to have someone than no one.

“Thanks” I say reluctantly.

He catches my drift. “You’re welcome”

I’m still onto him. “Just because you know, doesn’t mean we’re friends” I glare. “We’re not bestie’s”

He sees right through my façade and smiles dully. “Whatever you say” He slides away from the door. “Bella’s coming”

I exhale and drag my hands down my face. Edward knows, fucking fantastic!

Not only does he know, but he also wants to be my best friend and hold my hand from now until I tell his freaking brother that I imprinted on him.

Great. Just fucking great.

He doesn’t look my way, but he smirks at me.

“Dude, I will still rip your fucking head off” He rolls his eyes, but smirks again as Bella walks in with a heaping plate of food.

Yeah, this is definitely not how I anticipated my night to go. 


	2. Dreams

The drive home is quiet. Dad has footballed binged himself out.

He sits with silently with his eyes closed. Everything Edward said echoes in my head. “And honestly, we may be enemies and I know you have your family and friends and Bella, but whatever you decide, I’m with you”

I know I won’t be alone, but I haven’t even told any of the guys anything. Not even Sam and I haven’t even uttered a word to Bella, yet. The look on her face when she walked in on Edward and me laughing.Well, I laughed and he flashed a smile that died down faster than a bullet, but still. She didn’t know what to think.

I ease up to the house and pull into the garage. The tires crunch up the gravel and dirt.

I shut down the ignition. I sit here for a moment and then turn to him.

“Dad…” I shake him just the slightest.

He sighs. “I’m awake”

He opens his eyes and unbuckles his seat belt. I get out and help him into his chair.

We make our way towards the front door in silence. His wheels catch the wet grass and squeak every time they rollover.He goes straight to his room with a wave when we get in and that’s it.

I drag right into mine. I kick the door close and fall out on the bed. I feel so emotionally drained. Too much is going on.

I wiggle out of my shorts until I’m in my briefs. I’m still too hot. Whatever. I strip out of those, too, and crack the window and just lay there, the blanket somewhere on the floor. The cool air slowly mingles into the room.

There’s crickets in the grass right outside my window. There’s an owl probably perched in the trees lining the road. A screen door slams shut.

I exhale and close my eyes.

_“Well…?”_

_I spin around and try to match a face with that voice. It’s so familiar, how can I not know it?_

_“What do you say?” I look up and see Emmett beaming down at me with the most charming and brightest grin I’ve seen in my entire life._

_I smile and feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. “Yeah, okay, why not”_

_He grins and then everything changes._

_There’s a crack of thunder and then I’m in a room with tall glass windows. There’s light coming from somewhere outside._

_“I’m sorry” He says from across the room. He’s sitting against a wall in the shadows on the floor across the room. His legs are crossed in front of him and he’s staring directly at me._

_“You wouldn’t be if you just would have done what I asked. This entire situation could have been avoided” I say._

_He moves in a blur and is now leaning over me. “Jake, c’mon…you can’t hold out forever…” The pale smoothness of his face glows._

_I run a hand down his bare, cold chest and to the rim of his boxers._

_“Well…” The room explodes in color as lightning flashes. He leans closer, the light bouncing off his skin, sending the room ablaze with shards of rainbows and ultraviolet. His tongue is on my neck and my limbs feel like noodles._

_“Please…” I moan. “Emmett…just…I can’t, I-” It’s getting hotter, but he’s right there licking away at the flames with his frozen tongue. He eases back and stares at me. His eyes are practically glowing like golden moons in the dark. He licks his lips, his saliva glistening. I lunge towards him and our lips lock, ice on coals and he’s grinding and I’m moaning and-"_

I lurch awake.

My heart is going and going and I’m sweating. It was just a dream, damn it!

I exhale and inhale as slow as I can. I fall back to the mattress and just breathe. The clock on the nightstand flashes 3:20 a.m. in bright blue digits.

Enough with the dreams, Jacob! It’s gotta stop before it gets out of control.

I look down at the hard-on standing boldly in the moonlight. I bite my lip and slide my hand down my chest slowly.

“AHHHHROOOOOOOOOWLLL! ROO! ROOOOO!”

I instantly sit up and look out the window. Pack meeting? “A freaking pack meeting?” I look back at the clock. “This damn early?”

I watch my dick flinch, hungry for attention. I groan and roll out of bed. Not now, fuck.

I snatch my shorts off the floor and head out the house. The temperature’s dropped since we got in and there’s a slight mist ghosting over the grass that disappears at the tree line.

It’s quiet. I bend and tie the shorts to my right thigh with the rubber band around my wrist.

I straighten and focus on the heat in my core and tap into it. The energy sears through my bones and skin as the Wolf inside takes over. It rips through my body roughly. As soon as my paws touch the grown, I dart into the trees. I dip in and out of the shadows as the moonlight filters through the canopy.

I see and hear Leah and Seth coming from their house. Paul’s jogging in from the West of me. I guess Embry and Quill are already there. I can hear Jared talking.

A fragment of the dream stumbles across my vision.

A flash of blue briefs. I shut it down instantly.

This is getting hard. The dreams started the night I imprinted, and they haven’t stopped.

I really don’t know if I want them to, but… I bark a sigh.

Pull it together, Jake. Pull it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you loved it!


	3. Questions

_Hey Jake!_ Seth barks, flanking up on my left.

_Hey, man._

His tongue hangs loosely as we run, spit slinging everywhere. Leah darts out in front of him and cuts her eyes at me before she jets off. It’s a dare I ignore.

_Showoff_ Seth growls.

_Runt_ She replies, her paws kicking up dirt.

He rolls his eyes. _Whatever_.

Typical morning.

I can feel his eyes on me.

_Jake?_

I glance at him. _What?_

He hesitates. _Uhm…never mind, it’s stupid._

_Spit it out, Seth, Jesus_ I say.

He rolls his shoulders back in a shrug. _No, it’s nothing, really._

Images of me being distant and reclusive flash in the forefront of our minds. There’s a soft whine in his throat.

I huff a sigh. _Later?_

He nods. _Yeah, okay!_

And just like that, he drops it, which is odd. Seth never lets anything go, but he does.

Who am I to complain?

The unmistakable porch light of the house brightens until it’s illuminating the entire front yard. I slow to a trot across the dirt and gravel and phase. Seth follows suit.  

I snag on my shorts and watch him fidget.

“So…” He murmurs.

I exhale. “Later meaning afterwards“I said later, not now”

“Right, right, course” He says, shaking his head. “My bad”

Emily eyes us as we stroll in. She and Sam sit at the table with their hands joined. She smiles a soft smile and Sam does the same. Something’s a little off.

I arch an eyebrow. “Everything alright?” I snag a chair and glance around. Quill leans over by the counter crunching a bowl of frosted flakes. Embry closes the cabinet and pulls out the last box of strawberry pop-tarts. The toilet flushes from the bathroom and Paul walks out. Jared slouches on the couch, flipping through the channels and Leah takes the doorpost as usual. Seth sits next to me.

Sam nods thoughtfully. “Yeah…you?” I can see it in his face that he wants to ask more, but he doesn’t.

I shrug. “I’m alright”

He nods. He exchanges a glance with Emily who smiles warmly and he stands behind her. He rests his hands on the backs of her shoulders.

“Morning guys. Uhm…I know we don’t usually do this, but uhm…” He licks his lips. Emily rubs his hands.

“We have an announcement to make…” She finishes with a smile.

I see Leah fidget uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye. Seth rocks back in his chair some.

Oblivious, Emily holds her hand out and on her finger sits a small silver ring with a diamond. “We’re getting married!” Her hand trembles with excitement.

“What!?”

Seth’s chair drops to the floor. Quill almost spits out his milk. “What?!” Embry shouts, pop-tart crumbs falling everywhere as he grins. “Dude, that’s freaking awesome!” He swallows the rest of the pop-tart and bears hugs them both.

Jared’s jaw drops. “Finally!” He grins, hopping up off the couch and dapping Sam and kissing Em on the cheek. “Congrats, you twoooooooooooooooo!”

Paul strolls up from his position on the wall, a rare daring smile on his face. “We finally get to see a wedding around here” He half hugs Emily and clasps a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

Then, like everyone remembers, all eyes roll over to Leah. She faces the outside, her arms crossed.

Sam’s the only one with the balls to speak. “Leah…”

She turns to him slowly and calmly. She chews on the inside of the cheek. “Married?” She says it so calm and serene that it throws everybody on the edge.

Sam nods slowly. “Yes…”

She smirks without even smiling. Her eyes wander back outside.

“And…” Emily says. “It would mean the world to me if…you were my maid of honor…”

She looks at Emily with a deadpan expression long and hard. She cuts her eyes to Sam and bounces off the wall. “Real funny” She turns and walks out quickly.

“Leah!” Emily says, jumping up and moving to the door. The sound of clothes shredding tears through the cricket themed night. Emily is left standing alone in the doorway, her ring hand trailing slowly down the doorpost.

Sam glides over to her and rest a hand on her shoulder. “Em…”

She turns and smiles weakly, her hand rubbing his arm. “I’m fine, just…maybe it was too soon”

He sighs and pulls her in for a hug. He kisses her forehead.

“She’ll be fine, Em” Seth assures. “She needed to know”

She nods and breaks away from Sam.

“So…when are we talking, late November, early January?” Quill asks breaking the tension. “I mean, I’ma need to know when to rent my tux” Jared rolls his eyes.

Emily smiles and meets Sam’s eyes. “We were thinking late June, early August?”

Sam blushes. “Something along those lines, yeah”

They smile at each other. It’s nice.

“Well, alright!” Jared says, clapping his hands. “I don’t know ‘bout you guys, and don’t get me wrong, these three in the morning pack meets are lovely and cherishing and all, but I gotta get some sleep because someone put me on patrol duty at six, so…” He flashes a grin as he walks over. “Once again, congratulations and I’m out!”

Sam smirks. “Thanks. Get some rest”

“Yeah, yeah” He says, jogging out. Quill puts his bowl in the sink and starts crooning. “Awww….”

Emily blushes as he hugs them. He fakes tears as Embry walks beside him. “They just…” He hiccups. “They just grow up so fast…” Embry high fives Sam over his head. “It feels like yesterday when you guys were just and so young and…”

Sam rolls his eyes. “Quill, go home”

Quill cuts the act. “What, that was my way of acknowledging this newfound lifetime bond of yours. Don’t hate on the skills, Sam. You really don’t wanna do that” He kisses Emily’s cheek and keeps it moving. “Congrats, guys!”

Seth slides up before I can say something. “Well, I believe a congratulations is in order, Mr & Mrs. Uley” He throws a little bow in there. Emily only laughs. He gives them both a hug and throws a glance at me before mouthing, “I’ll be outside”

I roll my eyes and push his head out the door. “Anyway, being the best man that I am…” I look at Paul who leans against the fridge with his hands in his pocket. He looks at me strangely, but smiles a little. “It’s only fair for me to be the last to congratulate you on finally getting engaged!” I lull my head at Sam who only rolls his eyes.

“Thanks, Jake” He clasps my shoulder.

“What? I’m just saying, felt like it was gonna take another year, but hey, you proposed, she said yes, and that’s all that matters” I grin. I plant a kiss on her cheek and hug him. “But really, congratulations, guys”

She smiles and rubs my arm.

“I would love to stay and discuss the dete’s, but a brother is tired, so…”

Sam huffs and scratches his head. “Get outta here”

I laugh and walk out. Seth leans on one of the beams supporting the porch roof.

“Paul, everything alright?” Emily asks.

I turn around.

Paul walks up to them, his hand in his hair awkwardly. He furrows his eyebrows. “Yeah, uhm…” He glances at me. I raise my eyebrows. Sam follows his line of sight.

“What I do?” I ask completely lost.

Paul looks away suddenly. Sam shakes his head. “Nada. Get some rest, I’ll see you in the morning” He and Paul walk away into the living room. Emily watches them for a moment and then smiles and waves at me.

I wave and turn back. Seth falls in line with me. He looks back at the house. “What was that?”

I shrug. “Nothing, I guess”

He nods. “Oh…” I can feel it coming. He’s too quiet.

I exhale. “Ask away”

He looks at me and nods. “Okay, well, for starters, what’s been going on with you lately? You kinda haven’t been yourself”

I shrug. “Nah, it’s just…just a lot on my mind, you know?”

“Yeah…” He nods. “Did you want to talk about it or…”

I sigh. “Not really”

He pokes out his lips. “Oh, okay. Cool, I get that. I completely understand”

Only a few seconds past.

“Are you sure? I mean, not trying to be annoying or whatever, but…”

I exhale and look at him. He stares with his mouth open and eyebrows raised in curiosity. His hands are raised because he talks with them.

I breathe again and look ahead. “…I imprinted, okay” It comes out more embarrassed than I intend, but it doesn’t phase him.

“Oh” It’s quick. “So…that’s what you’ve been hiding…” He nods to himself. “Hm, okay. Thought you killed somebody or something”

I scrunch my face up at him. “What?”

He shrugs. “I’m just saying, I’m just saying…” He raises his hands in defense. “People are like that these days”

“Yeah…” We walk for a few more seconds.

“So who is it?” He asks. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me but at least let me know if I know her”

I exhale. My chest feels heavy. I rub m hands over my face. “Before I say, you have to promise to not tell anyone, and I mean anyone” I look him square in the eyes.

He nods. “I won’t, I promise”

I narrow my gaze. “Not even your teddy bear, Mr. Lumpkins”

He gapes. “How do you…” He rolls his eyes. “Fine”

I sigh. “…and it was a guy, so…”

He stares off. “Wait…we can do that?”

I look at him. “You sound more excited than surprised”

He smirks. “No, I just…” He gives a smug nod. “I’m not freaked out or anything, either. Just…wow, that’s new”

Hm. “Is that so…”

He nods. “Yup, heard worst” He says. “Not that it’s bad or anything, but…”

“Yeah, I get it” I glance around to see if anyone can hear us.

“So…” He hums.

I roll my eyes. “Do you absolutely need to know?”

He opens his mouth to speak, but only shrugs. “Uhm…not really, but…it’d be nice?” He cringes some, peeking up at me.

I purse my lips and nod. “Alright” I inhale and lick my teeth.

He waits impatiently. I mean, he fakes the patient, but he fidgets.

I sigh. “It’s…” I glance around again without even turning my head. “Emmett” It’s low.

He stops walking completely. “What?!”

I groan. “Seth, don’t do that” I keep walking.

“No, no, nononono! I didn’t mean it like that!” He catches up. “Like, Emmett, as in…” He meets my eyes. “Cullen?”

I roll my eyes. “Isn’t that the only one in the general area?”

His mouth gapes open. “Wow…” He stares off before simply nodding. “Cool. Does he know?”

I glare. Not at him, but wherever. “Does he- No”

He looks at me. “Uh, oh. Sorry. I assumed he…my bad” He hesitates. “Do you plan on telling him?

“No”

“Why not?”

“Seth”

“Okay, I was just…” He exhales. “So you don’t like the fact that you imprinted on him…” It’s not a question.

“It’s like…the worst possible thing that could happen, you know? I mean, Emmett? A guy period is just… but him?”

“Yeah...well, I think the worst would be Edward, but yeah” He agrees. I shove him out of the way. “Nah, I’m serious, though. Sam makes it seem like everything is peachy and sweet when you imprint, especially when the imprint knows. Guessing by your reaction, it’s not”

“Everything but…” I exhale. “And I mean…I want to tell him because I feel like I should, you know? Why hold something like back from the person who’s involved? But then I think, I don’t know, I don’t want to get hurt and it’s the type of guy he is and I just don’t want to”

“Okay, well…” he inhales and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Look, I know you may have the impression that Emmett’s the big bad wolf of the Cullen’s, but once you get around him and get to know him, he’s a pretty cool dude. Kinda reminds me of you sometimes, but…” He shrugs.

I inhale. “Yeah…”

“But then…there’s Rosalie” He adds. “She’ll trip when she hears about it”

Forgot the bitch existed. “Hm…”

He’s quiet the rest of the way. We walk up to his house. He drops his arm and walks up the steps to his door. He turns.

“Well, whatever you decide? I’m here for you. I got your back” He smiles.

I chuckle. “Seth, go to bed, man”

He grins. “Yeah, yeah”

I look at him as he opens the door. “Thanks, though”

He turns back and smiles. “What brothers are for…”

I nod as he goes in and I turn to walk home.

I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. Maybe Emmett will kinda be cool about the whole thing…

I sigh. But then…what if he’s not…?

What then, you know?

I head in. Seth only lives around the corner from me. Dad’s still snoring when I shut the door.

What then…?

I walk back into my room and shut the door. I lay out and look out at the sky. It’s still black, but it’s slowly lightening to that navy blue.

What then…?


	4. Storytelling

It’s morning. I know it is by the light beaming down on from the window.

I groan and blink open my eyes. Damn! I try and shield them with the pillow tucked under my chest and reach blindly for the curtains. My wrist bumps against something and it falls to the bed.

I risk the blinding light and look at it. It’s a picture of Bella, her friend, and I at the beach the first summer she came here, back when I had my long hair.

I fall back to the pillow. I haven’t told her yet.

“Welp…today’s the day” A yawn ripples through me and I get up and take a piss, brush my teeth and hop in the shower. Lukewarm water does the body good on days like this, I swear. Felt like a puddle of sweat was sitting in the middle of my back.

When I climb out, I grab a pair of briefs, grey shorts, my shoes, a few squirts of lotion and I head out to the door. I don’t even bother checking in on Dad. He’ll be calling me soon enough.

I ease out of the garage and pull off. There’s little to no traffic. Besides, it’s only fifteen minutes to ten. No rush.

I cruise down Bella’s street and park across the street from the house. Charlie’s just walking out with his coffee and stack of case files, uniform untucked. I slip on the black tank strewn somewhere in the backseat.

He stops when I get out and cross the street. “Morning”

I salute him with a nod. “Charlie”

He raises his eyebrows at me. “Isn’t it a bit too early for you to be pulling up?” He takes a gulp. “Don’t you have school or something?”

I shrug. “Charlie, I graduated three months ago”

He shrugs. “Well, there’s that”

I nod and glance up to the house. “Is she up yet?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, she was in the kitchen when I came down. Watching TV or something” He starts to walk to his car. “Just knock on the door”

“Cool, thanks”

He waves the hand with the case files behind him and gets in. His tires crunch up the gravel as he peels out. “Finally got a shirt on for once…” He mutters.

I saunter up the steps and knock on the door. “Bella, bella, bella…” I beat on the door.

After a moment, she opens the door in a long sleeve shirt and basketball shorts. Her hairs a mess, but that’s either here or there. “Jacob, nice to see you so early?” She squints at me in the light. “Come on in” She walks off and I follow her in.

“What’s going on?” I ask, moving with her into the kitchen.

“Nothing, just scrambling some eggs and bacon, probably some biscuits. Want some? Don’t answer that” She whips her eggs in a cup and pours them into the skillet. A pack of sausages sit on the counter.

“Awe, you don’t have to…”

She rolls her eyes and purses her lips. “Whatever, like you ate already” She scrambles the eggs and glances back at me. “Cheese?”

I lull my head. “Sure, why not”

She nods and adds a few slices to the eggs and lets it melt. She lays the bacon out in the skillet. “Though I’m not surprised by the early morning visit, this is out of the norm for you, so what’s up?”

I sit in the chair at the table. “You have no idea…”

She glances back at me. “I’m listening”

I smile. “I’d actually prefer to tell you after you’ve finished handling my food”

“Wise choice” She turns and scrambles the rest of the eggs. She takes two plates out and steps to the fridge. “Orange juice, water…beer or…soda?”

“Orange juice will suffice for now” I smile.

She smirks and takes out the juice, butter, and jelly, and checks the eggs and plates them. The bacon sizzles and she checks the oven for the biscuits. She shuts the door and it sends a wave of smells throughout the room.

She grabs two plastic cups from last night and fills em up to the brim. “Yeah, that’s enough” I joke.

She rolls her eyes. “Enough is never enough for you” She slides the butter and jelly on the table.

“True shit”

She checks the biscuits and pulls them out. She places two on her plate and four on mine. “Oh, you’re too kind”

She giggles. She drains the bacon and adds it too the plates. “So…” She comes to the table, sets down the plates, and sits. “What’s this new story of yours?”

“Give me a minute to inhale my food first” I cut open the biscuits and add some butter and jelly everywhere. The bacon’s extra crispy and the eggs are right with just the right amount of salt and pepper.

She munches on her bacon. “Mhm, and we’re gonna talk about last night, too”

I look up from my plate. “What was last night…?”

She raises her eyebrows. “You and Edward”

“One minute you two look like your about to kill each other, and when I come back, your all cool and mellow” She narrows her gaze. “What was that about?”

I shrug. “Well, to answer that, I’d have to tell you what I have to tell you first” I actually don’t feel nervous as I thought I would.

She takes a bite of her biscuit and gives me a look. “I’m still listening”

I exhale. I shovel some eggs in my mouth and crunch up three slices of bacon. I swallow it all down with some juice and look at her expecting eyes. “I…imprinted”

It settles in. Her face does this thing where her eyebrow raise some and her mouth starts to form a smile and her cheeks flush. “What?” She sits back in the chair. “What, really?” She’s beyond excited. “When? And how come you didn’t tell me?”

I shrug and lean back in the chair. “I mean, it’s not something…you know”

She rolls her eyes. “Chea, as if” She pulls her leg up in the chair. “That’s…wow. Congrats”

I don’t feel congratulatory. “Yeah…”

She cranes her neck with thin lips. “Well…who is she?”

I sigh. That question. “Well…it’s actually…a guy”

Her smile fades some and she chews on her biscuit. “Wait…you guys can do that? Imprint on guys?”

I shrug smugly. “Allegedly. Seth asked the same question”

She stops chewing. “So…you told Seth before me” She’s serious, but that playful serious.

“I mean, I could also point out that you and Edward have almost had sex on several occasions and not a word was uttered to me” I fire back.

She nods. “Touché” She sips at her juice. “So who’s the lucky guy?”

I exhale. Now that anxiety is building in my chest. “Promise me you won’t flip…”

She sets down her cup. “Uh…I promise I won’t flip, now spit it out” She eats some eggs.

I chew on my lip. “It’s Emmett…Cullen”

She stops chewing completely and drops her fork. All traces of hysteria are gone. “You’ve got to be kidding me”

I sigh. I want to leave. “Bella, don’t, I…”

Her face softens. “No, no just…” She reaches her hand across the table and lays it over mine. “I’m just saying…I really don’t know what I’m saying” Her eyes wander. “Can…I don’t know…I guess I’m wondering if that can actually happen?” Her face is curiosity stricken. “Can werewolves imprint on vampires?”

I exhale. “I don’t…”I shrug helplessly. “I don’t even know, but…everything just…” I look around for words.

She stares me down softly. “Okay” She stands and grabs her plate and cup. “C’mon” I take mine and follow her into the living room. She sets her plate and cup on the table and sits, folding her legs underneath her. “Okay, just…fill me in on everything. How it came about, what triggered it” I set my food down and sit next to her. “Just start from the beginning”

I sit back in the cushions that smell like old cigarettes and grease. “Okay. Uhm…okay, remember Alice’s birthday party?”

Bella drops a deadpan expression. “Alice’s party? Why is that even a question?” She shudders and rubs her eyes.

“Yeah, hate to bring it up, but…”

Alice’s birthday extravaganza was very, very overwhelming.

Bell’s invited me a few days before and initially I said no, but the birthday girl herself gave me the ultimate ultimatum. Either show up or have a certain body part dismembered, one of my favorites actually.

Wouldn’t miss it for the world.

For some odd reason, I went with the perception that it would be a simple gathering at some type venue with classical music playing and champagne being twirled around and everybody walking around in 1930’s ball gowns.

How about no. Hell to the no.

This Project X party was everything but.

Bella and I heard the music before we even hit the driveway. It was a warm night in the middle of July, but the Cullen’s house was lit up like it Christmas.

From the outside, it looked crowded, but inside is an entirely different story.

Music pounds from everywhere, like literally six or seven amps strewn throughout the house. Strobe lights and black lights are flickering and making everybody look like their moving in slow motion. Balloons float everywhere, in every shape, size and color. And it was hot as hell.

People are freaking everywhere! Looks like all of Forks High, some kids from Seattle, probably a handful of Cali kids.

And then the birthday girl herself twirled out of nowhere.

She’s over the top excited. “You made it!!” She screams over the music. She gives Bella a smooth hug and then attempted to crush the wind out of me.

“Yeah…” I look around. “Sure didn’t want to miss this…”

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, Jake…” Her eyes flit to the small gift bags in our hands. “Oh, you didn’t!”

I almost think she’s about to reach for it, so I try and meet her halfway only to get a smack on the hands. A very hard one at that. “What the f-”

“No, no. You know how birthdays go” She says dead serious. “All gifts are being collected in the atrium, so if you would be so kind-” She pauses when a song starts to play with a sick beat, but crappy lyrics. “OMG! This is my favorite song right now!” She squeals. “Okay, let’s go!” She laughs, dragging Bella and I with her.

This party is hot. Everybody’s grinding up on somebody and there’s a twerk-off going on to my right.

I start to stray but then nails are digging into my arm. “Oww!”

Bella’s face says it all. _Don’t you dare leave me!_

I snatch away and feel my skin heal. I freaking hate being the loyal best friend sometimes. Alice starts to whine her hips t the song and tries to coax Bella into it.

My stomach growls. “Alice!” She spins to me. “Where’s the food?!”

She smirks. “What? Everywhere!!” On the floor, on tables, people

…right. “Uh…something sanitary and now soaking in sweat would be nice?”

She rolls her eyes. “Head out back. Carlisle is on the grill” She starts dancing again.

I look around for the hallway that leads past the Kitchen. I swear there’s no such thing. “Where?!”

She stops dancing and sucks her teeth. “You are such a party pooper, I swear…” She turns around, her silver vest glittering. “Emmett!”

I follow her gaze. “Shit”

Emmett Cullen sat on the edge of the second set of stairs leading up with his feet dangling off. He sees Alice and nods at her before gulping his red cup down. He materializes in front of us with a qwerky glance around.

“What?” He asks, semi-hugging Bella. He turns his sights on me and instantly sneers.

“Problem?” I ask. I mean…

“You tell me” Is his reply. His eyes are cold in the heated room.

“Boys!” Alice shouts, a hand on each of us. “Emmett, could you do me a favor and show Jake the deck, please? Thaaaaaaaanks, you’re a peach!” Bella flashes a sheepish grin before they spin away.

“Wha-” He watches her go before rolling his eyes. “Fuck”

I take in his entire assemble. Grey polo shirt, denim jeans, and pearly white adidas. Typical Jock.

He glares in pure disgust. “Whenever you’re ready, princess”

“Lead the way, my fair lady” He rolls his eyes and we move throughout the house, to the Kitchen and onto the back Patio.

He mugs the hell out of me before he slips back inside the house.

Whatever, can’t stand him no how.

I look around. It’s definitely more serene than inside. The Deck stretches alongside the entire back of the house and then winds down into the yard to an even bigger Patio with tables and chairs and light lining the overheard wooden fencing. There’s a few people here and there on the lower level.

The sizzle of burgers and hotdogs draws me back to the top deck. There’s Carlisle on the grill, Esme serving drinks, and Edward leaning against the railing staring and looing morbid as ever.

“Is there a problem?” I can’t help it. Regardless of what we go through and who our mutual friend is, we will always be enemies.

He shrugs. “A neglected animal”

“Hm” My lip twitches. “Wanna test that out?”

“Hey, you two” Esme says as she strolls over in a blue dress. “Be nice”

Edward sighs. “Sorry” He turns his stone cold face back to me. “Is Bella with Alice?”

Before I can even answer, he’s walking inside. “Of course she is”

I roll my eyes.

Esme smiles. “I’m glad you came” She leans in for a hug.

I don’t mind giving in to her. She’s sweet, reminds me of my Mom some. “Yeah, well, I didn’t have much of a choice”

She nods gracefully. “Yeah, well, I do apologize for that. Alice can be quite persuasive”

I chuckle. “I’ll bet”

She smiles again and rubs her hands together. “So, would you like something to eat? We have burgers, hotdogs, pasta salads, Panini’s, a whole smorgasbord really” She leads me over to a long table covered with miles and miles of food.

She sees the hesitation in my expression. She leans in. “Don’t worry, it’s catered” She whispers.

I can’t help but smile. “I trust you” She always tries her best to cater my needs, but it’s the other ones I have to look out for.

She smiles and hands me a plate. “Go for it” She pats my shoulder and strolls away.

I pile my plate high with everything. No limits. I snatch a sprite and have a seat a one of the tables strewn about.

Carlisle raises his eyebrows when he comes from inside the Kitchen with raw steaks and chicken. “Enjoying the food, I see”

I swallow the deviled eggs and beans. “Second time I’ve eaten today”

He nods and lays the meats on the grill before wiping his hands and shaking mine. “I appreciate you celebrating with us”

I press my lips together. “Well, you know me. Where there is food, I will come” ‘

He chuckles and turns back to the grill. “I’ll keep that in mind”

The volume of the party rises inside. People are cheering and booing, laughing and fussing.

I sigh. “Ever going to let her do this again?”

He chuckles again. “No, not while we’re in the area” He throws a quick glance around. “We don’t need the publicity” He glances at his watch. “It’s almost time”

Esme walks to his side. “Did you reach Jasper?”

“A few minutes ago. He should be pulling up any second now”

I’m lost. “Almost time for what?”

“Sing happy birthday and Alice’s cake” Esme answers.

Cake? “But, I thought…”

“Well, we don’t, but with appearances and all” She smile sweetly at a few teens that pass.

“Ah” I nod. I demolish the rest of my plate in one sitting and stand. Bathroom.

“Oh, and Jacob, could you do me one small favor?”

I spin. “Sure”

“Could you head upstairs and tell Rosalie to come down now, please?”

“Uhm…sure thing” Sure, send me up with the homicidal blonde who hates my guts.

She smiles. “Thanks” She rubs my arm. “And hurry”

I head back into the house, swimming through girls and guys. I glance around and finally see Bella with Edward and Alice.

Everyone’s laughing for some reason. Edward has that crooked smile on his face that I could run over with a car.

“What happened?” I ask.

Bella gives a nervous laugh. “Remember Jess, my friend from school?”

I nod. I see a group of girls comforting on who looks extremely embarrassed. 

“She was dancing with a few people and she had a drink in her hand. Emmett walks by and tries to squeeze past her, but she thought he wanted a lap dance, so…”

“She spilled her drink all over him” Alice says, not even looking away from her. I can’t tell if she feels sympathy or is hot from the fact that none of the attention is on her. “Poor child…” She walks over and talks to her.

“Wow” That would have been the icing on the cake of the night. I reluctantly look at Edward. “Where’s Blondie? Esme wants her down”

His eyes flicker to me. “Up the first flight of stairs, make a left. Third room on the right. Fetch Emmett while your up there, will ya”

I brush past him and shove through the crowd to the stairs. The third door is ajar in the well-lit hallway. Before I even attempt to knock, the door swings open instantly.

Key in dramatic exhale.

“Ew, I was wondering why I smelled rabid puppies” Rosalie says, leaning against the door frame. She looks at her nails and a nail file appears.

“How about I just slam your face into the basement?” I cross my arms. “Sounds lovely?”

She rolls her eyes. “What do you want?”

“Not you”

“Clearly” She brushes a nail.

“Whatever. Their singing happy birthday in a few, Esme wants you downstairs”

She rolls her eyes and exhales. “Course she does…” She blurs to the mirror in the room for a last second check-up and then slowly struts past me and down the hall.

I watch her go, unfortunately. To be as honest, if she wasn’t the Queen of all Bitches and didn’t smell like a thousand year old death, I would possibly ask her out.

“And if you’re looking for Emmett, he’s in our bedroom getting another shirt” She says over her shoulder. “But you can smell him, can’t you, Frodo?”

A growl leaves my throat.

She blows a kiss and steps down the stairs.

Well, all the doors in this side of the hallway are either closed or wide open and pitch black, so…

“Where the hell is the bedroom…?”

A door opens from somewhere down the hall, followed by a silent “Fuck!”

That would be him. Hm, odd that they have two separate rooms.

I throw a glance down the stairs as I pass. Jasper walks past with a huge cake, I mean, a freaking enormous cake that’s at least a few heads taller than him. There’s pictures and clapping. I turn back to the hall.

There’s only one door wide open to my right. I knock before I look in.

“What?”

Emmett stands there half turned towards the closet, half turned towards me. His upper body is completely naked and pale, and his muscles are smooth and bulky. His jeans sag a little off of his waist, the space between his…

I look up at his face. His eyebrows are furrowed, but perfect and…his eyes are a burning spicy topaz that are glaring at me.

“The fuck are you staring at?”

I don’t even feel my heart beating anymore. Am I even breathing?

Everything around me seems to just disappear. The people downstairs, the lights, just…

There’s just him, standing half naked and looking at me flustered and angry and…and…

It’s…it’s like seeing the Sun for the first time. Feeling the warm rays on my skin and the bright light in my eyes and…

No.

“No…”

He turns his entire body towards me, one of his eyebrows rising. “What the fuck are you looking at?” There’s an emphasis on each word.

They feel like bullets.

No…I…

I didn’t!

I turn and run down the hall and down the stairs. I’m brushing past people, feeling resistance, but I can’t stop moving. I need to leave.

I have to get out of here.

Their singing Happy Birthday and I can hear Bella call after me, but I don’t stop.

I freaking can’t!

I rush outside and as soon as I get into the trees lining the house, I phase. I don’t care who sees me.

His body…his face…

I tear through the trees. I need to see Sam now!

“So…” Bella stammers, reeling me back in. “Did you find him?” She asks, braiding her hair and unbraiding tediously.

I sigh. “Great way to ruin a story. I’m getting there, just, hold your horses”

She slouches back in the couch and raises her hands in defense. “Sorry. Continue”

Everything turns into a blur as I race past the border.

What the…what the fuck!? No fucking way did I just imprint? I know I didn’t! What the fuck!?

I thunder towards his house. As soon as I get to his front yard, I phase and jump onto his porch.

I bang on the door. “Sam! Sam!”

He answers the door a second later. “Jake? What’s wrong?” He looks at me hard and looks past me.

“I gotta…I don’t know, I…” I can’t even get it out. My face feels hot. “I…”

“Hey, hey, take it slow” He opens the door some more. “C’mon in”

I start to step in, but then I see Emily at the table. There’s two wine glasses, two nice plates of food, and candles. She stands concerned. “You alright?” She has a nice evening dress on.

I look at Sam. He’s dressed as nice as financially possible, a simple black button down and jeans.

Fuck. Their on a date.

“Jake?” Sam calls, his hand on my shoulder.

“No…uhm…I’m sorry, I didn’t…” The fuck, Jacob! How could I forget?

“No, no, it’s fine” Em says stepping closer. She has makeup and perfume on, too. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head. “No…I’m sorry, I’ll…” I take a step back from the porch. Sam follows. “No, I’m fine, just…sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt your night”

“Jake, what’s wrong…” Sam asks again. He does look rather nice.

“Nothing, I’ll just…I’ll see you guys tomorrow…”

He and Em share a look and she steps back inside, her worried eyes on me. He looks at me hard and steps down a step. “Jacob, what’s wrong? You don’t just run her screaming and banging, what’s wrong?”

I shake my head. “Nothing” I put on my best face, even though it’s killing me. “It’s fine. Enjoy your night”

He stares and then sighs. He glances up at the moon and then back to me. “Okay…” He exhales. “I’ll see you in the morning…”

I nod and turn to go. He stands there to watch me go for a few seconds before turning back inside.

“I hated that I messed up that night for them” I tell Bella.

She sits attentively. “So you didn’t tell him?”

I shrug. “I mean, it was their date night and I completely forgot, so I just barged in on them, like, that was rude as fuck” I scratch my head. “And to this day, he does not know”

She sits quietly for a second and then thinks better. “How do you think he’ll take it?”

I can’t help but chuckle at that. “I don’t know…kick me out of the pack or something, I don’t know” Her expression deadpans. “I’m serious! I don’t know. He’d tell Billy for sure and I don’t know what he’d do, but…” I shrug. My head falls back on the couch and I look up at the ceiling at the old light.

“Jake…c’mon, you can’t believe that…” She says, her smooth, cool hand hold my forearm. “Sam loves you. The pack, they love you and you better damn well believe that Billy loves you” She says. “Will you look at me?”

I reluctantly obey.

“They will always love you, no matter what” She’s so serious. “Uhm…remember when you told me Quill imprinted on Emily’s two year old niece, Claire?”

“Yeah…” I nod. “Emily almost killed him”

“And did they exile him from the pack because of it? No. Why? Because they understand an imprint is something you can’t control” She says. “I mean, sure, Emily probably tore him apart, but he’s still your pack brother. Besides, Billy wouldn’t dare do anything but love you. You’re all he’s got” She rubs my back now. 

I sigh. Maybe she’s right, you know? But…

My eyes fall from hers to the forgotten food. “But…” I can feel my eyebrows shift. “Sam and the guys and Billy will love me regardless, but...what about Emmett?”

She’s staring and thinking of the right words to say. “Well…That may be a mystery, but we’ll figure it out” She touches my arm again. “We will”

I look at her. She’s really something. She does the weird thing where her mouth turns up on the corner and then the rest of her face lightens up as she smiles. She lifts her eyebrows.

I smile tiredly. “Thanks, Bells. You’ve literally taken such a weight off of my shoulders. Like, now, I feel like I can truly breathe again…”

She leans in and hugs me. “Yeah, it’s what best friends do…” Her hug doesn’t last too long, but she just slouches on me when we separate. “It’s what we’re here for…”

I smile. Moment’s like these…

We sit in silence just staring out the living room window.

“So…when will we tell him?”

It tumbles around in my thoughts. “Soon”

She nods into my shoulder.

“But only if you’re there with me…”

She smiles up at me. “I’ll be right next to you every step of the way”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the back story! Please shoot me a review!


	5. Paul

I head on home.

I sigh. It’s relieving to finally tell Bella what’s been going on. I mean, telling Seth was cool, but he doesn’t really understand like she can.

But I need to tell Sam. I can’t keep this from him forever.

I pull up to the house. Dad isn’t here when I walk in, so I walk over to Sam’s.

It’s a nice day out. Warm breezes right up to the tree line where it drops at least five degrees cooler. The Sun is filtering through the canopy leaves. A few goldfinches leap from branch to branch.

It’s peaceful, but of course, I pick up the entire pack laughing. Peace ruined.

I walk up to the house and post up by the door as always. Everybody’s huddled up on the couch watching one of Kevin Hart’s stand-ups. Leah’s nowhere in sight. Emily and Paul are flipping through wedding books at the table.

Paul looks up at me real quick and then back at the books, which is…a little odd, but not out of the blue.

“Hey, Jake” Seth greets, a warm smile. His eyes flicker to Paul.

Jared chugs the rest of his Gatorade. “And now the real show begins”

Sam looks at him and he shrinks down in the seat. Quill and Embry burst out laughing.

“What I miss?”

Sam stands, hands brushing the backs of shorts off. “Nothing. Take a walk with me” He cocks his head at Paul who slides the current book to Em.

“Okay” I look at everybody staring us down.

We walk off onto one of the hiking trails leading up towards the Mountains. Everything opens up a little wider as the bushes and trees start to distance themselves.

Notably Paul walks on the right side of Sam in silence.

“So…” I say, looking at the both of them. “What’s up? Not that I have anything to do, but…” I stretch my arm behind my head.

Sam raises his eyebrows. “Hm” He stretches his arms behind him. “Just felt like jogging” and he takes off up the hill.

“What-don’t nobody got time for that!” Paul yells after him.

“Move it!” Sam shouts.

Paul rolls his eyes and starts off after him.

“Fuuuuuuuck” I go after him.

The trail runs for a few miles around La Push and through Forks. Paul and I catch up, but Sam’s a constant fifty feet ahead.

I punch the shit out of Paul’s arm when Sam isn’t listening. “The fuck did you do? We ain’t running this shit for nothing”

He flinches and hurt flashes across his face. “I didn’t-” He barely looks at me, his eyes straight ahead.

“Pick it up!” Sam shouts, high kneeing it up the hill.

Paul sucks his teeth and dashes off behind him.

I feel like my heart is breaking through my chest, but I press on.

We run along the cliffs, down the underpass and then up the last leg towards the beach.

Sam is looking at us like this run was nothing to him. Paul drops to the ground on his back. My hands are on my knees.

I’m literally gasping for breath. “What the…what the hell…” I try to get the words out and take in air at the same time. “Is this...because I didn’t…” I swallow. “Is this because I haven’t been running patrols…or something, shit!”

“What?!” Paul goes, sitting up against a tree stump.

Sam raises his hands above his head to let the air in. “No, no…” He swallows. He looks out and around us. “Not that at all” He takes a breath. “Though, I should make you run a few laps, but…” He exhales and looks at Paul.

They stare at each other and Paul looks at me and covers his face with his arm. “Nah…I’m not ready”

Sam drops his hands to his hips. “We just…we came out here for some exercise and…” He looks at Paul. “Paul’s gotta tell you something”

Paul groans. He drops his arm and looks at me before wiping the sweat out of his eyes.

“What?” I ask, rising and leaning against a Redwood.

He stares at the ground, his sweaty chest still heaving. He looks up at Sam and nods.

Sam nods and then starts walking away.

“Wait, where you going?”

“I’m giving you both some space” He says. “Sprint back to the house afterwards”

“After what?” I look at Paul.

He runs a hand through his hair and exhales. “I…” He looks to Sam, but he’s jogging back. “Fuck”

The blood isn’t rushing in my ears as much now. “What you gotta tell me?”

He exhales and stretches out his legs. His eyes scan the ground and the area and look everywhere but at me.

He’s stalling. “Jesus, Paul, spit it out!” My voice echoes and scares some birds.

“Alright!” He shouts, still not looking up at me. “I imprinted!”

I exhale. Him too, huh? “That’s…that’s great” I hold out my hand for him to stand up. He takes it with an unsteady look. “Who is it, better not be Becca”

He shakes his head and takes a step back. “No…no…” He exhales. “Fuck! He should have stayed” He takes a few steps away from me. His hands wipe at his eyes.

“What are you going on about? Who is it?”

He drops his hands and looks at me. His eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips as he takes his breaths. “It was on you”

I stare at him for a long time before cracking a smile. “Get the fuck outta here. C’mon, who is it?”

“I’m-” He turns his back. “I’m serious” He stays quiet.

The realization washes over me. “You…your dead ass?”

He nods, his back still turned.

I watch him for a little and then scoff. “You’re full of shit” I walk past and look at him. He hasn’t moved, but his face has changed.

He’s glaring, but he laughs. “I mean, do you honestly think I _wanted_ to imprint on you?” He growls. “I’m not even gay and you’re a fucking dumb ass guy! Like, I can’t…” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I can’t, this…this isn’t right”

He’s serious. I don’t even know what to say. “I mean, I…” I almost tell him, but then everything will go to shit. “Look, I don’t…”

His eyes snap open. “Don’t” Their watery. Tears fall and he doesn’t bother wiping them away. He stomps past me. “I wished I never fucking met you, I don’t fucking need this and I don’t need you” His body starts to tremble. “Fuck you” And before I can even utter his name, his body rips apart as he phases and he bounds into the trees. His shorts fall in tatters in front of me.

I run a hand through my hair. Fuck. How the hell can he imprint on me and I im-

What the fuck is even going on?

I run down the hill. Sam is running back.

“What happened?” He asks, eyes searching.

I glare. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He sighs. “It wasn’t my secret to tell and you know it” He looks around. “Where is he?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, he raced off”

He shakes his head and turns on me. “What did you say to him?” He’s in a predator state.

I take a step back. “Nothing, I…”

“You rejected him, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t mean it, Sam, I-”

He stops advancing. “Do you not get how imprints work? If there’s even a hint of rejection, they…” He’s shaking.

It hits me. He’s in danger of himself.

“Find him, now!” He roars.

I tear into a sprint, my clothes shredding as I break into my wolf. I chase down his scent. It winds in bends and dead left and right turns, but I follow it.

I have to find him.

His trail stops and lingers on the base of the mountain and then it leads right to the beach.

I run it down and burst through the trees and scan the sand.

He’s sitting right where the waves crash into the sand. I run and phase right before I get to him. He doesn’t look up at me, doesn’t even notice I’m here.

There’s no telling what state of mind he's in.

He still doesn’t look at me when I crouch beside him. He stares out at the cold water.

“Paul…?” I touch his arm softly. He’s freezing and wet.

He looks at me slowly out of the corner of his eye. He’s eyes are red. He takes an unsteady breathe.

“I’m sorry…”

He looks back out on the water. “I thought about swimming out as far as I can…and when I couldn’t hold myself up anymore, I would let the current carry and drag me down till I couldn’t see the sky anymore…”

My heart drops. That’s…I want to touch him, but… It’s because of me that he feels this way. I sit in the sand next to him. The waves lap at us on the sand.

“Nobody would miss me…”

I look at him. “That’s a damn lie and you know it” I take him by his arm. “Look at me” He does. “For starters, your Dad needs you. You’re all he’s got and he loves you. The pack, we need you. Sam and Emily need you…” I chew on my lip. “I need you”

“No you don’t” He says it, but his eyes don’t leave my face.

It’s weird. Ever since we were little boys, he’s always been there. My partner in crime. We always played together, always bugged our Mom’s to take us to the store and to parks and whatnot. He was my best friend before Bella, well, up until he and Becca. 

“You know I do” I exhale. “I’m sorry. I didn’t handle that the right way, I was just…” I meet his eyes.

“Surprised, I get it” He looks down at the water lapping at his naked thighs.

“But that’s not an excuse for the way I acted”

He doesn’t say anything and only inhales. A shiver ripples through him and Jesus, this water is freezing!

“C’mon, let’s get out this water before our dicks freeze off” I say, standing. He legit laughs at that and meets my eyes. I hold out my hand to him. He takes it and stands to his feet.

We walk down the beach side by side. Normally, I would think walking with my dick and ass out is completely crossing the line, but oddly, it doesn’t bother me as much. Besides, Paul’s naked, too.

“How long did you know?” I ask. We have to start somewhere.

He looks out on the water. “A few days, found out the other day actually”

“Oh…” I slide my hands down my thighs but then I remember I don’t have any pockets. He stares down at my calves and then travels his way up to my face.

He meets my eyes. It’s weird, I never noticed the intensity of those deep brown eyes. I mean, I have when he’s been mad, but this intensity is different.

Struck, almost.

He looks away. “You know nothing has to change between us, right?” He peeks up at me through his eyelashes. “I mean…we’re brothers, but…” His eyes search for the words, but all he does is smile.

“I get it” I match his smile.

He nods. “Right, so…”

“Yeah, we’re good” I say.

He nods and looks ahead. His face sort of falls and I look. Sam’s standing at the edge of the trees with his arms crossed and his eyes locked on me.

“You alright?” He asks Paul once we reach him. He drops a heavy hand on his shoulder, but Paul just nods smoothly.

“Yeah, I’m fine” His eyes flicker to me before he shrugs from under Sam’s hand and takes the pair of shorts from him. Sam hands me the other.

These are clearly not mine, but I shimmy into them. Paul watches me. At least they fit.

I think it’s…odd that not once did I size him up. I don’t know why. I mean, I guess it wouldn’t be weird now after the recent turn of events, but still. Not that I want to or anything…

Sam looks at the two of us really hard. Paul shifts under his glare and looks down at his shoes.

“Alright” He finally says. “Sprint back”

My jaw drops. “You can’t be serious”

He starts to move. “Nothing’s changed since I left”

Paul groans and we exchange a look. He laughs a little and we start running.

By the time we get back to the house, I swear I can literally feel my heart in my throat. It’s beating like a freaking jack rabbit! I drop down in the dirt.

Paul’s just as bad, except this time he collapses on the steps. Well, he smiles at me, so that’s good. Sam’s sweating bullets, but he’s holding his composure.

Seth skips outside a grin on his face. One look at Sam and he stops completely and goes back inside. “Sheesh”

Sam looks at the two of us, but mainly me. “I assume everything is alright between you to”

Paul looks at me and I nod. “Yeah…we’re fine”

His bright eyes confirm it. “We’re good”

Sam looks us both over before nodding thoughtfully. “Alright” His eyes linger on me before he steps inside.

We sit outside for a while and just catch our breath. Paul’s fast, but he’s not as fast as Sam even though he tries to keep up with him.

He lies out, half his body on the actual porch and the other half is on the steps and in the dirt. He’s staring off into the woods like there’s something on his mind.

“Thanks” He says, looking at me. “For what you did back there…”

I shrug. “You’re a fucking idiot if you think I’ll let you go that easy…”

He chuckles, his cheeks going rosy red. It’s nice to see him smile.

I smile. “But your welcome”

He looks at me, his smile lingering before Em opens the fridge. “You guys want something to drink?”

He looks back at her. “Just some ice water, Em, thank”

“Coming right up. How about you, Jake?”

I shake my head and dust off my legs. “I’m good, thanks” I rise to my feet. My calves are freaking burning.

He sits up and stands. “You coming in?”

“Dude, look at me” I literally look like I’ve just been through the worst sand and dirt storm in history. “I need to shower bad”

He smiles and his eyes droop just for a moment. “Well, yeah…” He takes a step back. “Ight, well…I’ll see you tomorrow”

I nod. “Ight, man”

He flashes a grin and a quick wave before dipping inside to get his water.

I walk home. The sky’s clouding over now and there’s patches of grey here and there that’s turning everything darker.

Well, the weather was fun while it lasted. I exhale.

The rain starts before I even get twenty feet of the house. I’m completely soaked by the time I walk in. Dad’s sitting in the Living Room watching the News.

“Hey” I say.

He barely looks up at me. “Evening” He’s deeply engrossed. Something about a kidnapping on the outskirts of town.

I quietly shuffle into the bathroom and kick up the shower. I strip out the shorts and just stand under the water, and let it rain down on my head and down the curve of my back.

This is so fucking weird.

I imprinted on Emmett, but… I don’t even know if it’s possible that Paul can even imprint on me.

Like, what the fuck?

I haven’t even told Emmett, yet. Or Sam, for that matter. And now, how the hell am I going to explain that to Paul?


	6. Denied

_I’m surrounded by darkness. To my left, my right, above and below me. Everything is void of light._

_“Paul?” I try my best to find him. “Paul where are you!?” I shout in the dark. I can feel the panic tingling up my spine, but then it’s something else. Something warm, like a cozy blanket._

_“I’m here” He says, suddenly beside me. Everything is still dark, yet his features have a light of their own. He’s in his normal ripped shorts, but that’s it. Even his skin seems to glow._

_A genuine smile crosses my face. “Hey…”_

_He turns to me fully and our body move closer till we’re flush against one another. “Hey…” His eyes twinkle as he caresses my cheek with his soft palm and long fingers. He begins to lean in and just as his lips touch mine, I –_

I sit bolt upright out of my bed.

I shake my head and rub at my eyes. Please don’t tell me... First I dream about Emmett, now I’m dreaming about Paul, too? What the fuck!

My dick is raging, but I ignore it again. It’s just…it feels too weird to even think of Paul and my… a shudder rolls through me.

It’s just… I don’t know.

I glance out my window at the cloud overrun sky. It’s a normal day. A feather light breeze trickles though the window that’s not enough to keep me cool, so I get up and go through my routine.

With a yawn, I look at the clock on my stand. 2:18 p.m. somebody wanted me to come ov…Bella. That’s who it was. She wants me to come and chill with her today like we didn’t yesterday, but whatever.

Dad’s watching the News with tired eyes. They lock on me when I step out into the Living Room.

“Was wondering when you’d get up” He says.

“Well, everyone doesn’t live by the break of dawn, Dad” I throw an arm around him in a half hug and go into the kitchen.

“We need to make a run to the store today, but no later than tomorrow” He says.

I nod and chug down the last half of Orange Juice. “Okay. Got your list ready?”

He nods. “I’ll have it” He looks at me with those sad Dad eyes. “What are you up today?”

I shrug. “Uhm, well, Bella and I are just going to chill out, probably order some food and watch some movies on Netflix or something”

He nods thoughtfully, turning his attention back to the News. “Hm, have fun” He’s engrossed for a moment before he goes, “Oh, and Paul called looking for you earlier”

I feel myself subconsciously lock up, but I play it cool. “Yeah?” I walk out and grab the mail out the mailbox. “What he want?”

He shakes his head. “Uh, nothing really, which was odd. He said he just wanted to see if you were up and if you weren’t, he’d see you later”

Wake-up calls, huh? My cheeks flush a little. “Oh, yeah…” I wanna add something, but I drop it and pick up my keys instead. “Alright, well, I’m out”

He waves and smiles. “Be safe!”

I exhale once I get into the car and pull off the street. Yeah, definitely hold off as long as I can on telling Dad.

I know he’ll love me no matter what, but…I don’t know.

I just… I don’t know.

I pull up at Bella’s house in no time flat and of course, the infamous black Volvo is parked a space in front of mine.

Yep, this will be a little weird.

I jog up to the door and knock. There’s footsteps thumping down the stairs and then the door is swinging open. Bella flashes a smile up at me, but then drops it as fast as hot grits.

“Your late” Leave it to her.

I raise my hands as I step past her. “If only you knew the events that transpired yesterday, you’d be late, too”

“Yeah, yeah…” She shuts the door.

The house is cleaner than the other day. There’s still that smell of barbeque in the air that won’t leave for a few days, but the windows are open, so there on their way.

Edward sits on the last few steps of the stairs casually. He has a grey v neck that shows his chest hair and loose fitting jeans. “You look like an albino Chewbacca”

He rolls his eyes. “Jacob” He says morbidly, like he’s tired of my shit already.

I laugh. “C’mon, you gotta admit that was funny”

He raises his eyebrows. “Hilarious”

“Yeah, well…”

Bella clear her throat. Forgot she was in the room for a second.

“So…you guys are like friends now?” She looks at us both confused. “What the hell?”

Edward shrugs slyly and maintains eye contact with me. “It just so happens that Jacob is no longer a threat to our relationship. I can work with that”

I arch an eyebrow. “A threat? When was I ever a threat?”

He gives me a ‘you know what I’m talking about’ look.

“Wait” Bella says. “When did I miss this? You guys are actually speaking and joking now, like, what?”

I shrug. “He knows about my imprint, Bells”

“So… that was why you two were all buddy-buddy the other day…” She narrows her gaze, the pieces finally churning. “You told him before me?” It’s an accusation I instantly cringe away from.

“Well, technically, I didn’t tell Houdini over here”

She turns on him now. “Could you come with me into the Kitchen for a sec?” She doesn’t even give him time to respond before she’s pulling him with her.

I sigh. “Yeah, I’ll just stand here”

I wander into the Living Room. There’s a box on the floor with pictures and right on top is a family portrait. There’s a young Bella, the Bella I remember, Charlie, and her Mom, Renee.

We’ve met a million times and I still can’t get over how beautiful she is. She has the same chocolate hair and eyes as Bella does, only straighter. This woman even has dimples, for Christ sake. Charlie’s smile on the other hand is weird, but only because it’s genuine. He looks really happy. And then there’s Bella sitting between them both with the biggest smile any person with six teeth can make.

I hear them whispering, well Bella whispering in the Kitchen, but I ignore them and flip through the rest of the photos. A million baby pics of Bella, a pregnant Renee, Renee and Charlie on their wedding day.

There’s even a picture of both of our parents together. My parents and Bella’s were friends and that’s how we met and made mud pies.

My Mother looks amazing in her prime with her kind eyes and radiant smile. There’s Dad right next to her grinning before he was paralyzed. Then Charlie holding Renee around her stomach.

I smile. I miss her.

I place the picture on top of the fire place right between Charlie and his large trout he caught last summer and Bella’s baby picture.

I take a step back and admire it.

They walk back into the room. Bella walks up to see what I’m looking at. “I’ve always hated this picture” She points at the family portrait and then looks at the one of our parents. She smiles and rubs my back. I smile at her.

“C’mon” She says after a moment, walking away.

I turn after her. “Come on where?”

Edward’s standing by the stairs again. “Well, Bella and I were wondering if you would like to come and spend the day with us”

“Spend the day?” I arch an eyebrow. “Where?”

He shrugs. “Just at my house. Alice planned a shopping spree for her, Esme, and Rosalie and since everyone else will be out, I thought it’d be nice to invite you”

“Well, what about Carlisle, Jasper, and…” Something about his name just does something to me.

“Well, Carlisle has three scheduled surgeries to attend today from five this morning to ten tonight. Jasper’s away visiting some friends and won’t be back until next week sometime. Emmett…” He hesitates. “I believe is out hunting up North for the day. I’m not sure when he’ll be coming back”

“Ah…” I shrug. “Okay, well, what would we be doing?”

He shrugs. “Whatever you and Bella want, honestly. We can order some food, whatever”

“You’re asking too many questions” Bella comments. “Are you going or not?”

“Jesus, Warden. Since you asked so nicely”

She rolls her eyes. Edward just chuckles. I glance at the photo of Mom before we step outside.

I stretch and yawn. My stomach growls.

“Haven’t eaten yet?” Bella asks as we walk down the steps.

“Surprisingly no. I don’t know what’s been up with me”

“Huh” She murmurs. “You been sleeping?”

I shake my head. “Barely”

“Do you want me to drive?” He asks.

Bella shakes her head with a knowing smirk. “I don’t think I want Charlie running to conclusions again to why I made it home so fast”

He smiles. “Right, okay” He plants a kiss on her cheek and walks normally to the Volvo parked down the street.

We climb into her rust bucket of car. “Are you ever going to let me fix this rust bucket up?”

“Hey, if you don’t like it, your dusty bunny parked right over there” She fires back.

I grin. Classic Bella. We pull off the street with Edward ahead of us.

“So how is everything?” She asks.

I lay my head back. “It’s good. Well…not good as it should be or it could be. I don’t know”

“Well, there’s that” She says. “Spit out”

I sigh and stretch my arms. “Paul imprinted on me” It just falls out of my mouth like water.

She almost slams on breaks. “He what? Wait…wait…Paul?” She glances around us and in her rearview mirror. “He imprinted on you?”

I sigh. “Fabulous, isn’t it?

She exhales. “Yeah…but…how is that even possible?” Her eyebrows scrunch up. “Like, you imprinted and then he imprinted on you?”

I shrug. “Bells, I’m just as confused as you are. I don’t how the fuck it happened. I guess it’s just fate”

“Hm and I’m guessing you still haven’t told Sam yet”

“I’m…still in a state of consideration, mind you”

She doesn’t buy it. “Really, that’s the best you’ve got? Didn’t you see him yesterday?”

“Yeah, but I also found out about Paul yesterday so it would have been a conflict of interest if I even uttered a word about my imprint. Shit, Sam almost hounded my ass for that”

She sighs. “Oh, Jake…”

“Yeah, ‘Oh Jake’ is right”

We stop at a pizzeria before we go to his house. It’s the only one in town and they have the best Pizza ever to set on a plate anywhere. We get three; two for myself and, well, two and a half for myself and like four for Bella.

We pull up at the humble and expensive looking Cullen estate and park in front of the steps. Edward balances the Pizza boxes in one hand while he unlocks the door with the other.

I glance around the area. It’s quiet. They’re scent is heavy here, like a full bottle of concentrated bleach, but I’ve been ignoring it so far, so.

I follow them inside. The house is as always neat. Everything’s placed strategically for the best comfort. All the curtains are drawn to let all the light in. It’s a rad place.

We go up to the second floor and Edward sets the boxes down on the table amidst the couches. “So, what would you like to do?” He asks.

I raise an eyebrow. “Bells? You’re at the middle of this threesome, you should decide”

Edward’s face drops like he instantly regrets inviting me. I smile.

She shrugs. “Uhm, well, since we got our Pizza, I guess a movie is in order” She walks over to the collection of movies that take up the entire wall. I step over to it. Jesus, they even have the original _Mummy_ and the entire _Friends_ series.

“Yeah, Carlisle’s a big fan” Edward says. Bella plucks a case off the shelf.

“Go figure”

“And…there we go” She slides down into the couch. He materializes on her right and I take the space on her left. I take the first two slices of Pizza and swallow them down.

“And what is this?” I ask once the previews start rolling.

“Zombieland” She says chewing.

Edward groans.

“Well, in that case, it’s safe to say that this’ll be fun” He just rolls his eyes.

It starts out as a boy narrating his experiences in a post-apocalyptic world overran by Zombies.

Really. I freaking hate it, but it’s freaking hilarious. And then there’s Emma Stone. Who doesn’t watch her films?

The both of them are all snuggled up on the other side and here I am looking like a third wheel.

Yawn.

I guess we’re halfway through it when Edward looks at me. “Jacob…”

I look at him. “Yeah?”

Bella sits up and looks at him and then to me. “What’s wrong?”

He opens his mouth, but then there’s thundering coming from downstairs.

Bella’s eyes shoot out the window and I follow her gaze, but then I hear the front door swing open. Footsteps move across the floor and sound like they get about half way into the foyer before they stop.

I look at Edward who just raises his eyebrows.

A breeze whistles through the house. “I thought I had the place to myself?”

Emmett stands at the top of the stairs and doorway, eyes wild and hair everywhere. Every inch of clothing he has is shredded to pieces and mingled with animal blood. His shirt is in tatters and only hangs onto his body at his arms and neck, the rest of his torso revealed. His cargo shorts are all ripped up and on everything is basically gone beside the belt loop and his right short leg.

He looks like a Lumberjack who survived a trip to a lion’s den. His eyes drink us in.

Edward speaks up because I sure as hell can’t. Damn… “I’d thought I’d invite Bella and Jacob over for a few movies”

His eyes land on me as he strides into the room. An automatic sneer that has my gaze dropping falling than a falling star.

“Now we’re all buddies…” He says and I can still feel his eyes on me. “Great”

Bella sits up. “Where have you been all day?” Her eyes scan his body and there’s suddenly a tinge of jealously.

He looks down at his clothes like he realizes his state for the first time and just God! “Just a little preseason hunting, bears and what not” He flexes his biceps. “You should come with next time, show you the ropes” His eyes light up mischievously.

She rolls her eyes. “No thanks”

He grins. “Suit yourself” He shrugs. “Don’t know what you’re missing”

“As I said, we were watching a film, so…’ Edward chimes. He must be annoyed as I am. “If you don’t mind”

He rolls his eyes and runs his hand down his stomach. Ridge over ridge, over ridge… “Fine, be that way” He jabs at Edward who swings back only to miss when Emmett walks out the room with a booming laugh. Damn, even the backs of his shorts are torn to shreds.

I don’t even realize I’m staring until Bella’s shaking my arm.

“Huh?” I hear a shower start somewhere down the hall.

She furrows her eyebrows. “I said are you okay? You were out of it for a minute” Edward watches me behind her.

I blink a few times. “Yeah…yeah, I’m cool” I give her a reassuring smile.

“Alright” She nods and then turns back to the movie. She glances at Edward and they snuggle closer again, damn me.

By the time the movie’s over, Emmett’s walking back in in a US Navy T-Shirt and grey sweat pants and white footie socks.

He plops stomach first on the other couch closest to me. “So…these credits, though?”

Bella starts to rise. “No way” Edward and I say at the same time. I laugh at Bella’s face.

“You’re saying I don’t have good taste in movies?” She asks.

“Hell no” Emmett says.

I can’t help but laugh more. “Not that you don’t have good taste, it’s just…the movies you tend to pick are either too sappy, too close to our own reality, or downright suck. I’m sorry, that’s the way it is” Edward’s trying his best to hide his crooked smirk. “C’mon, Ed, back me up”

He shakes his head when Bella turns to him. “I’m not saying anything”

I hear Emmett snort. Bella huffs and grabs another slice. “Fine then, you pick”

I stand. “Alright, I will” I step to the movie wall. “Let’s see…”

“And it better be good” Emmett mumbles.

He causes my decision to falter. I exhale and pick one of my favorites.

“King Kong? Really?” She blurts out.

“Hey, you had your chance and ruined it and now it’s mine” I say walking around Emmett to the DVD player. “Besides, he’s an iconic legend. Appreciate royalty when you see it”

“This movie is trash” Emmett chimes.

I shrug. “I mean, yes, it got some shitty reviews, but it’s good for the most part” I don’t meet his eyes.

He sounds off with a grunt.

The movie plays on. It’s just me, my terrible choosing best friend, her hundred year old boyfriend, and…the guy I think is my soul mate.

There’s a few comedic parts, but more action and suspense than anything. Emmett laughs and watches attentively, though, like he’s never seen it before. His eyes light up and his teeth flash in the light.

It’s mesmerizing how childish he looks. Like a kid in a candy store.

Edward leans forward with a glance at the Pizza boxes. “Jake, did you want something to drink?” His eyes do this weird thing.

“Uhm…” I look at the half of box I have left. “Yeah, sure”

He stands and nods me with him. I throw a glance back at a watching Bella as we step out of the room and down the stairs. The Kitchen is spotless as always. All stainless steel, windows with country side views and furbished floors. “Who designed this place, anyway?”

He opens the fridge. “Esme, a few years before we moved back here in 1917” I stand on the other side of the island and he stands on the opposite side.

I shake my head. “Damn, you guys are old”

He purses his lips. “What do you want to drink? We have a variety of choices, some things left over from Alice’s party, etcetera”

“Something carbonated would be lovely”

He slides a coke across the counter and shuts the fridge. I crack it open, reveling in the sizzling it makes and chug it down. He watches me.

Emmett laughs, a loud crack of thunder through the quiet house. I mistakenly meet Edward’s eyes and sat down my soda.

He doesn’t look away. “There’s your chance, if you wanted to tell him…”

I wonder if he can even hear us. He shakes his head and glances down at the soda. “He’s into the movie. Not even paying attention” He resumes his initial eye contact. “But you could”

I chew on my lips. The thought weighs heavy on my shoulders. “I…I don’t know if I’m ready…”

“Was Paul ready?” He asks. He’s not picking at me or making fun of the situation, he’s just asking. His tone is softer. He cares.

I inhale a huff and shrug timidly. “I don’t know. I just…I don’t know if I am. I don’t even know what to say, like…I’m literally at a loss for words”

He nods. “Well, like I said, I’m here to support you. I think now is a perfect time, but if you don’t see it fit, don’t. There’s always another time”

I nod and chug the rest of my soda. “Yeah…” I toss the can in the trash can with nothing in it and we walk back upstairs.

They’re both still sitting in the same spot. Well, Emmett’s lying on his back now with his legs wide open, but Bella’s the same.

I try my best not to stare at him, even though he doesn’t notice, Bella and Edward do. It’s just…I don’t know.

Now would be an ideal time to tell him, to just come out and say it.

I exhale.

When the movie ends, we just sit there. Nobody moves to get another movie. We chill. It’s one of those moments where you find yourself staring blankly at nothing in particular while time passes by.

“So…” Emmett murmurs. He’s staring out at the darkening Sky. He doesn’t say anything more, nor does he move.

I inhale. I look at Edward. It’s now or never, right?

“Uhm…” Emmett looks right at me with a annoyed look. Breathe, Jacob. I sit up on the couch some.

Here we go. Take it slow, Jake. “Emmett, uh, do you remember last week at Alice’s party uhm where I came to get you from the bathroom…?”

I swear his eyes brighten as he sizes me up. “You mean when you pulled a spaz and was eye-fucking me in the mirror?” He looks at his leg. “Yeah, I remember”

I glance at Edward and Bella. Bella rubs my knee supportively.

“What about it?”

He’s staring at me. His glare is intense.

I inhale. “I uhm…well…” I breathe. “Whew, uhm…” I swallow and glance at Bella out of the corner of my eye. “I…kinda…imprinted on you”

He stares for a moment before his eyes wander around the room then back to me. “And…what does that mean?” He raises a devilishly handsome eyebrow.

Edward sighs. “An imprint is the term the Quileute Wolves use when they find their soul mate’s in a moment of contact”

His eyes narrow childishly. “So…okay” He sits up and leans on his knees. “Let me get this straight, right” He looks up at me. “You imprinted on me, which means…and correct me if I’m wrong, but that means I’m allegedly your long lost soul mate…?” He raises his eyebrows.

Everything in his tone screams mocking. I blink away from. “…yeah…”

He looks at the three of us one by one and then burst out laughing.

My cheeks burn. I can feel the tears pricking my eyes and blurring my sight, but I fight them off.

“What the fuck? He’s not joking!” Bella shouts, rising.

“He’s serious. Don’t” Edward says.

I still haven’t moved from the couch.

He slowly comes to. “Ha, okay?” He runs a hand through his fucking stupid curly hair.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Bella shouts.

He looks at her, his smile dropping. “My problem? I’m not no fucking Fag! I don’t play that gay shit is my fucking problem”

Edward fires back, but I don’t even catch it. His voice blends with theirs into one very clear word.

Denial.

Before I know it, I’m on my feet. The anger’s building underneath my skin and I clench my teeth so hard, I feel like my jaw locks.

Bella reaches for me. “Jake, don’t…”

I shake my head and flinch away from her. “No. Fuck it. I don’t even know why I thought listening to you two would just…” I meet his fucking eyes. “I don’t even know I…Fuck you!”

He shrugs nonchalantly and stands. “Well, at least the feelings mutual” He steps to me until he’s towering. “You don’t want to fight”

I’m so close to him, I can break his fucking face. My vision blurs and all I want to do is get out of here. Anywhere away from here.

Before I know it, I’m running down the stairs and out the front door. Bella’s screaming after me, but I ignore her. It’s no use.

Fuck! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

I just made the biggest fucking mistake of my fuck up life!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Yeah, this chapter was quite heartbreaking and I’m sorry for that. I feel it needed to happen in order for the story to continue the way I want it to. If you feel angry on how it went down, well… I can’t apologize for the way you feel, so I recommend you get over it fast!


	7. Running

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

“Jake!” Bella shouts running to the door. “Jake!” She’s screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Could you scream any louder” I grumble.

Edward stands off with his hands on his head. He’s glaring.

“What the fuck are you staring at?”

“Why the hell would you do that!?” His hands drop, fist clenched.

What the fuck? “I’m sorry, was there another road I could have taken with that bullshit? The fuck?”

“You need to go apologize right now, right fucking now!” Bella marches over. “How could you do that to him? Do you know how much time and effort he spent into perfecting telling your ass and your fucking blow him off?” She’s a firecracker when she’s mad. Sparks everywhere.

I cross my arms. “Do I look like I care? I’m not fucking gay, all three of you know that, so I don’t understand”

She rolls her eyes hard as shit. “You’re a fucking asshole”

“Just…go find him!” Edward shouts. “Before he does something he’ll regret”

I step to him. “Or what…” I glare him down.

Then, out of all fucking times, a damn howl rips through the dark sky. I fucking hate Mutts.

Edward exchanges a look with Bella.

“What, what’s happening? Oh my God, is he okay?” She’s freaking frantic. “Edward!”

“He’s running out of my radius. Sam knows something’s up. They’re out looking for him now”

She inhales. “C’mon, we have to go look for him!” She turns to go.

“I’ll go” He glares at me. “You need to stay here. I can follow his trail and keep in touch with The Pack”

She’s flustered but she nods quickly. “Okay, go”

He plants a quick kiss on her forehead and then disappears downstairs.

She stares out the window. “I fucking hate you” She says coldly without even looking at me.

I walk out the room. “Yeah, join the club”

**Edward's P.O.V.**

Jacob’s scent is still strong when I get outside. It leads halfway down the driveway and then cuts into the trees. I run it down to the La Push border where it leaps over the creek.

I don’t have permission to enter, but I’m taking the chance. Sam will have to pick a fight later.

His scent starts to mingle with everyone else’s, but I can still pick his out. His thoughts abruptly stop and then everyone else’s begin.

_Sam? Sam! What’s going on? Where’s Jacob?!_ It’s Paul yelling. He’s breaking.

Sam steps in. _Paul, phase and get back to the house. I’ll send word once we find him._

He’s hysterical. _But-_

_Go!_ Sam roars.

Paul howls in anguish and his thoughts cease.

Report! Sam commands.

_No sign of him! Jared and me are running the backside of the Woods. He’s not here, Sam!_ Seth shouts.

_I’m just making my way around the beach. I don’t see him either!_ Leah replies.

Sam’s breathing is raged. _Quill, Embry?_

_I’m running up the East side of the border!_ Quill shouts.

_Alright, Leah take the North side, Jared you take the South! Go, now! Cover as much ground as you can!_ Sam orders.

On it! Everyone shouts in unison. Sam races on.

I run through the Woods and finally pick out his scent. I follow his trail.

_Sam, there’s a Leach’s scent right crossing right through the border!_ Quill says. _It’s heading right through town._

Damn.

_A leach? What the hell is it doing here?_ Jared growls.

_Wait, it could be-_ Seth doesn’t even get to finish.

_Whoever it is could be the One who caused this!_ Leah barks. She’s never liked our kind.    

_Just when we’re all preoccupied, they strike. Nothing but pussies._ Embry chimes.

_We’ll deal with whoever it is. First sight, take them out. Don’t leave room for questions!_ Sam finally says. He’s picking up his pace.

I can see him now, the largest Black wolf out of all of them. I run alongside him.

As soon as his eyes register, he snaps at me. I jump easily out of the way and onto a tree branch above him.

_Cullen!?_ He stalks and paces. _What the hell are you doing here?_ He’s glaring. He wants my head in his jaws.

Cullen?! Seth sees me in Sam’s mind. Edward?

Quiet! Sam barks. Seth whimpers.

“I’m not here to fight either of you. I’m here to help you look for Jacob”

_What?_ He growls. _You have no business here!_ He jumps and snaps at me again.

_Dracula totally has a death wish cut out for him!_ Jared says.

“Listen to me. I know I dishonored the Treaty without your permission and we can deal with that later, but right now we need to find Jacob. Trust me, I can help”

Trust you? He bares his teeth. We do not like you. Your kind isn’t welcome here! Why the hell should I trust you?

It’s all I have. “Because I’m the only one who knows what’s wrong with him”

Bullshit! Leah growls. I’m coming, Sam!

Sam glares at me. He’s thinking it over and over. He doesn’t trust me, I know that, but Jacob’s life is at stake. “I’ve seen what happened with Paul. It could be worse and you know it”

He breathes and snarls. _Fine, but only this once!_ And then he jets into a full on sprint on Jacob’s trail. _If you are lying, I swear to God I will kill you._

I run alongside him. I send him a nod.

_What the fuck? We’re trusting this dude now?_ Jared blurts out.

_Yeah, what the hell, Sam!_ Quill shouts. _We’re Wolves, we don’t trust fucking Vampires!_

_I don’t, but as long as he knows where Jacob is, he’s our best shot!_ Sam fires back.

_That’s bullshit and you know it!_ Leah responds feverishly.

_That’s enough!_ He shuts her down. She howls.

Jacob’s scent is running ramped just on the outskirts of The Reservation and past the borderline creek. He doesn’t go too far out to officially leave La Push, but his scent turns and whines down walking trails and crosses streets.

_You better know where you’re going_ Sam growls. He’s flying on all fours, his eyes are reflecting the moon light.

Everything’s changing around us. Random boulders are strewn around the fields and hills. Broken fern trees sit perched up in the air like art.

It’s…

Jacob’s scent breaks off suddenly and drops in intensity. Sam and I both skid to a halt and try and match it.

He’s looking everywhere. _Where are you, Jake?_ He runs through his mind for any clues or answers.

I take in the area we’re in. I haven’t been here in years, since I first met Bella and yet, it seems like it was yesterday.

It hits me. “I know where he is, c’mon” I break back into a run up the hill. Sam follows me relentlessly.

_Where?_ He barks.

Where Bella first discovered me for what I am. “The Meadow” Why the hell didn’t I think of it before? Bella once told me he and her ventured out here once before. She told me it was one of his most favorite places in the world.

_What Meadow?_

“No time to explain, just trust me!” We’re moving. He’s keeping up with me.

_I think we found him!_

Five voices go into an uproar all at once. _What? Where? Where is he?!_

_No time. Meet at the house. Get to Paul!_

_But Sam-_ Seth wines.

Go! Sam roars.

Sam shakes off a wine and lets loose a howl I can hear from here. The rest of The Pack follow suit and their thoughts disappear.

_You better be right, Cullen_ He warns.

I don’t entertain his anger and distaste. I bend around a bank of trees and up a hill.

Jacob’s scent picks back up strongly. He’s out here.

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

Emmett…Emmett…Emmmett…

His names bounces off the walls of my mind as I lie out in the grass. His face, his body, his freaking words tore my heart to pieces.

How could he be so cruel? It took everything in me to muster the strength to tell him and he…rejected me…

I blink and there’s the moonlit sky. The stars twinkle, but I don’t feel like star gazing.

A breeze rifts through the small world around me. I wish it’d take me up like Dorothy and take me far away from here. Far away from this life. There’s footsteps coming up the hill. The breeze carries it just as easy as the fallen leaves.

I breathe it all in. I exhale. Edward and Sam.

I see them out of the corner of my eye when the step into the clearing. Edward’s face glimmers in the moon light. Sam phases from his Wolf and.

“Jacob” Edward starts. “Are you-”

“Jacob, what the hell!” Sam roars marching over.

Edward steps in. “Sam, you should stay calm” He’s keeping a cautious eye out for me. “Jacob’s-”

Sam turns back to him swiftly. “You can leave now. This isn’t any of your business”

Edward presses his mouth in a line and looks at me before he fades back into the darkness of the trees.

Sam turns back to me and crosses his arms. “What the hell is going on with you?”

I shake my head and sit up. I pull my knees to my chest. “Nothing”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” He yells. “You’ve been fucking isolating yourself away from everybody and avoiding talking like it’s the end of the world!”

I exhale and clench my jaw. “For fucks sake, look at me!”

I try my hardest not to, but the Alpha in him commands it. There’s so many emotions displayed on his face. Anger, distress, sadness and worry. So much worry.

He sees things in my face, too. I can tell by the way he looks at me, in both of my eyes.

“I imprinted…” I shut my eyes.

He exhales then just drops in the grass next to me. “Jesus, Jake…” He sits quietly for a moment. I can feel his eyes on me. “Imprinted…? On who?”

I exhale and look him right in his confused eyes. “Emmett…Cullen” I say. I can feel my heart quake.

He blinks and his eyes narrow like he’s trying to sort it out. “But Paul…”

“Believe me, I’ve tried sorting it out. I don’t even know how the hell that’s even possible to be imprinted on and then imprint, I just…”

He stares at me and then drops his eyes. “Are you sure you…”

“That’s the only thing I do know”

He looks up at me. “Well, why didn’t you tell me?”

I exhale. “I just didn’t know how you would react” His eyebrows furrow together. “Like, I…” I chose my words carefully. “I didn’t know if I was going to be…accepted…”

“For something you couldn’t control?” He says it distantly like he’s here, but he’s not. He runs a hand through his hair with a deep sigh. “Jake, it doesn’t matter who you imprinted on, you will always be our brother” It’s the softest I’ve heard him speak. “It hurts my heart to hear you think that” He murmurs.

I open my mouth to apologize, but I just end up shutting it.

“I’m sorry” He says. “I know he denied you and…” His eyes search the ground. “I know how that feels and I’m sorry” He meets my eyes. “But its his loss, not yours” A light dances in his eyes. “Gay or not, he’ll miss out on a great guy with a big heart”

My cheeks burn. He flashes a kind supportive smile. I smile back.

“C’mon” He says, climbing to his feet. “Let’s get you home” He holds out his hand to me.

I take it. He pulls me to my feet and we walk away.

I feel myself rise internally. I don’t want to be down, but my arms swing by my sides aimlessly. “It sucks…” I mumble. I feel my lips pout.

He looks at me long and hard before throwing his arm around my shoulder. “I know, Jake, I know…”


	8. Love?

The guys run out at full speed as soon as they see me and Sam walking towards the house. Paul’s nowhere in sight. Leah didn’t even bother to show.

“Dude, where the hell you been!?” Quill shouts.

“Yeah, we were worried sick about you!” Embry adds.

I roll my eyes. I really don’t feel like talking about it. “I’m fine” I press my way through, but their like a relentless wave. They keep coming back.

Seth hugs me real quick before I can even stop him. “You alright?” He’s terrible at giving knowing looks at people. Looks like his eyes are hurting. I shake him off and nod.

Jared rocks over. “Hey, if the man says he’s fine, he’s fine” He chows on a chicken wing. Seth turns and stares at him. Jared raises his hands in a shrug. “Hey, I’m just saying”

“Alright, alright. Give him some room” Sam orders and just like that, they back up.

I throw him a glance and walk inside.

Paul’s asleep on the couch. His eyebrows are dented up like he’s mad as hell, but his mouth is wide open. A thin quilt barely covers his lower body, no doubt bestowed by Em.

I sit on the armrest of the recliner next to him and rub his leg.

He flinches away and then wakes up with a fuss. “What the-” His eyes lock on mine. “Jake!”

He tackles me in a hug and we both fall back on the recliner and halfway on the floor.

“Is everything alright? I-I didn’t know what happened, Sam wasn’t telling me stuff, and I didn’t-are you-I” He rambles above me.

I rub a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, hey. I’m fine” His eyes search mine. “But can we sit up? This honestly isn’t the best position…” My legs are hanging off one end of the chair and my head off the other, and then he’s directly on top of me…

“Oh…oh!” He eases back and slides back to his seat. I sit up and run a hand through my hair. He stares at my stomach like he doesn’t know what else to say.

“So you’re okay?” He says finally. He peers up at me through his eyelashes.

I nod. “Yeah, just…” He stares with alert eyes. “I just needed some time alone…” I swallow.

His eyes drop inch by inch until their on the floor. The skin along the side of his face ripples as his jaw clenches. He nods but doesn’t meet my eyes.

I instinctively reach out and run my fingers over his ear. He sighs into the touch and closes his eyes. His hand comes around and grasps mine softly. “I was worried about you…” He looks at me, eyes puppy dog sad.

I blink a few times to keep from looking elsewhere. “I’m sorry”

His forehead creases as his eyebrows come together when he looks at me. He nods silently and drops his gaze again, but he doesn’t let me my hand go.

There’s Embry’s loud whisper. “Wait, no!” and then Seth’s thundering into the room. Paul and I both look at him.

He has that deer in a headlights face like he just walked in on something he shouldn’t have. 

“What?” I blurt out.

He raises his thumb to point behind him. “Uhm…” He shifts, his eyes dancing between us. He doesn’t know what to think.

Paul leans closer. “Spit it out” There’s irritation in his voice.

Seth inhales, but then Sam steps in. “Everything alright?” He asks.

Seth looks back at him, stuttering. “I was gonna ask…that” Sam glares him down.

“Go home” He says.

“I was just about to do that” Seth says, patting Sam’s shoulder and waving at me. “See’ya later, Jake” He jogs off.

Sam crosses his arms.

“Yeah, sorry…” I heard him, but I didn’t hear him. One glance at Paul and he squeezes my hand ever so slightly before letting go.

Sam looks between us and then cocks his head to the door. “You guys get some rest”

I straggle to my feet and Paul is quick to reach out for me, his arm sliding behind my back. He brushes up against me.

I fight that smile I feel coming on. “I’m fine, really”

He huffs and lets me go.

Sam watches us, watches me mainly walk past him. I can still feel his eyes on me even when we make our way through the trees.  

He’s concerned, I know it. But he’s doing his best to give me some space to think. I mean, _these_ are _my_ problems.

Paul glances back at him as we walk. He gravitates toward the longer path to my house, so we walk it.

I watch him. Paul is gorgeous. His black hair shoots up in spiky strands all over his head and over his dark caramel eyes. Even in the moonlight, his bronze skin seems to glow. He reminds me of Hercules. His body is chiseled and shaped and then everything below his shorts is just…

“You didn’t…get away from everybody because of me…right?” He asks. He watches me cautiously like he doesn’t know if he should have asked.

I don’t even… I sigh. “No…and please, please, listen to me when I say this. You and your imprint don’t faze me. I’m not mad at your for anything and I won’t be” I inhale at his watching eyes and come off at a softer tone. “I’m just saying…I don’t want you blaming yourself for anything. I still love you and…that’s all that matters”

His eyes focus in on something past me and then they drop. His cheeks move. “You love me, huh?” He looks at me with a dancing smirk.

I can’t help but let my frown blossom into a smile. I scratch at my eyebrows. “You know what I mean”

He shrugs, bottom lip poked out. “Yeah…I do” He flashes a smile when I bump into him. He bumps back.

We walk on into the night.

I sneak a few glances at him. That smile isn’t going anywhere no time soon.

We walk through the neighborhood. My guess is it’s about two in the morning, but yet, there’s Mrs. Grady sitting on her porch talking with Miss Charlotte. They wave when we pass.

“Think you’re gonna get in any trouble?” He asks. We walk down the top of my street.

“Trouble for what?”

He shapes his mouth in a ‘O’ and stares ahead. “Well, uhm…Billy was looking for you and I guess Sam…” He sees my face. “I thought Sam said told you”

“What the f…” I groan. I roll my eyes. “That’s…” I exhale.

He doesn’t say anything else as we walk down the street.

I’m freaking pissed. It was not that serious to even mention this to Billy. What they hell did he even say?

We come to a stop just before we get to front door. We just stand there and stare at the door, stare at the living room lights shining through the windows.

“Well…” He starts, smoothing his hands in his back pockets. “I’m glad y-”

I hug him. He’s startled for a moment, but then he comes around to it and his arms encircle my waist.

“Thanks” I say. It doesn’t last long, but it’s long enough. His arms slack off and I step back.

He still maintains his surprised, his eyebrows high, but he blushes and smiles me on. “See you tomorrow?”

I wink. “Yeah…”

He smiles and starts to walk backwards. He wants to see the real drama play out.

It’s funny for some reason. “Go!” I whisper.

He grins and then turns on his heel and jogs back up the street.

I watch him for a moment and then sigh and turn back to the door.

I inhale my composure and stride on through the door.

Dad is sitting right in the middle of the Living Room with a belt on his lap. He stares at me with his face void of any emotion, but parental sass. “Do you have _any_ idea what time it is…?” He says everything really slow to get his maximum effect.

I sigh. And here we go.


	9. Sorry

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

I sit up in my bed.

There’s a big splash of sunlight pouring right into my face. The fuck.

I scratch my head. A yawn ripples through me.

“Yeah, well, I had an idea regarding that…Well, it started out...” There’s Dad on the phone again. He gave me a damn near Presidential speech on the reasons why I shouldn’t come home that early in the morning. Shoot, Becca and Rachel never had to go through this. Grounded, my ass.

I get up and shuffle into a shower. Feels like I haven’t washed up in days. I hate that. I wrap a towel around my waste and grab my toothbrush. I wet it, squirt some toothpaste and go into the kitchen.

He looks at me over the rim of his glasses from the Dining Room table. “Uhuh…that’s the exact thing I was considering…”

He’s still not pleased and why the hell is this fridge always empty? I swear, every freaking day. I wonder what time Sue’s coming to cook. I raid the cabinets and grab the box of cinnamon Poptart’s and head back to my room. I brush my tongue with toothbrush.

_Knock, knock!_

I dip and turn right back to the door.

Paul’s standing on the other side with a confused grin. “Early morning?”

I look down at the randomness. A pink towel, a box of Poptart’s, and white toothpaste foam all over my mouth. “I’ve never felt so beautiful”

He flashes a grin. He has on a camo green shirt and tan shorts. They’re not his normal choice of clothing. “If you say so”

I shake my head and head to the bathroom. He waves at Billy and follows. I spit out the toothpaste and rinse out my mouth.

I toss him the Pop tarts. “What’s going on, why you dressed?” He sits on the bed and instantly opens a pack.

I drop my towel and toss it in my bin. I grab some briefs.

“Uhm…” There is an extensive pause. “I…uhm…”

I glance back at him. “What?”

He’s staring, literally ogling me. His eyes are glued to my butt, Poptart crumbs everywhere. I can’t help but laugh at how struck he is.

“Uh, earth to Pauly?” I grin.

He snaps out of it. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” He licks his lips and wipes his mouth.

I shake my head with a sly grin. “I was asking what’s with the clothes, dude?”

He nods with a smirk. “Right…uhm…Well, I thought we could do some things today”

I pull on some socks and drop down next to him. “What kind of things?” We’re sitting dangerously close.

He notices and leans against me. “I don’t know, just get out for a bit. Take advantage of the weather for once”

I shrug. “Makes sense” I rub on some lotion. “Where to?”

He pushes me and swallows his Poptart in three bites. “Will you quit it and just get dressed?” He grins.

I laugh and snag my brown shorts and a clean white shirt. “Hasty, I see” I tie on my shoes.

He hops up and runs his eyes down me. He absentmindedly fingers his ear.

I grin. “Does this meet your approval, Mr. Lahote?”

He opens his mouth and shrugs. “It’s perfect, c’mon” He snags the Poptart’s as he walks out. “Later Billy” He says as we pass.

Dad looks up at me as he waves. His face is so stern, you would think he just committed murder. “Be home early” His tone is grave.

I nod. “Uh…okay”

Paul’s smirking when I shut the door. It’s sunny and warm as hell.

“Last night went that good, huh?” He asks with a toothy grin.

I shake my head. “Gave me the longest speech of my life”

There’s a silver two door BMW sitting on the road and I instantly recognize it as Sam’s. He barely drives it, a gift from his Mom years ago.

I look him over. “I’m snitching if you stole it”

He smiles. “Nah, he let me borrow it for the day. It’s good for we we’re going” He walks over to the driver’s side.

I climb in. “And where are we going exactly?”

He clicks his seatbelt on. “Will you just sit back and enjoy the ride?” He’s grinning.

I mean, I trust him. I just click on my seatbelt with a smile. “Let’s ride, then” And that’s pretty much how my day starts.

We drive out a good hour away to a Port Angeles. Paul doesn’t stop smiling while he drives and still doesn’t stop when we pull up to The Tag Zone. Only when we get into the Lazer Tag chamber is when his smile drops and his predatory side kicks in.

Which, by no shape or form, is any match to mine. Let me set that record straight. His team lost, what, three games in a row and all the players blame it on the party of kids running ramped. No doubt it was them, but then there was Paul and I having a full on war, so we really weren’t pay anyone else any attention.  

The next stop was food. Pepperoni and pineapple pizza with jumbo lemonades. He chows down on a few slices, I mean, really going to town. He doesn’t even notice the oil running down his cheek until I swipe it with my thumb and keep on eating. He doesn’t stop laughing for a while.

Next is Dave & Buster where I whoop his ass in a game of pool. A group of cocky ass Washington State Freshmen try to scam us into a game. Fucking demolished them!

On the way out with the Loser’s money and watches, we pick up some burritos from Chipotle. People are staring at us when we blow through two burritos in like ten minutes. Shrug. Haters going hate, you know.

The drive back is tired. The sky is still that cross of purple and dark blue when the Sun sets. There’s a few stars peeking out from where the Moon is glowing.

It’s nice. Today was nice.

I glance at him. He’s a little tired now, but that smile is still there. “Tell me what this smiling thing is about?” He flashes a grin. “You’ve been doing it all day”

“What, is it too bright and pearly white for you?”

Yes, damn! Like… “Yeah right”

He turns back to the road with a chuckle. Surprisingly, there’s barely any traffic. “No, I guess….you know, today was a good day” He runs a finger through his hair and looks at me. “It started out great, it’s ending great” His eyes linger for a moment. “I mean…as long as your happy, than I’m happy, you know?” He watches me watch him.

I process his words. “So today was about us being together and happy?”

A shrug rolls over his shoulders smoothly. “Yeah, you can say that” His flashes those damn pearly whites again and I roll my eyes.

He laughs.

When we pull up to the house, he hops out and walks me to the door which is just… it’s charming. “Well, thanks for today. I really, really had a blast” We stand under the porch light.

He shrugs, his hands in his pockets. “No problem. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself”

“Yeah, we gotta do it again sometime. Maybe bring Sam or something along next time”

His expression droops a little. He nods absentmindedly. “Sure…why not”

I narrow my gaze weirdly. “Or not…”

He shakes his head. “No, no, I’m sure it’ll be fun. It would be cool. No biggie”

I nod. “Okay…” We watch each other nervously for a few moments. The light shines down on his features and I mean, damn. Paul is fucking gorgeous. His lips are just… he smiles hard. He catches me gazing.

“Well, Sam’s car is uhm…” I glance at the car and clear my throat. He doesn’t stop smiling and looks down at his shoes and then glances at the car. “Yeah…I guess I should be getting it back soon, huh…”

“Yeah…” I say.

He watches me for a moment. He’s bashful, which is so weird for him. I’d never see it fit his personality so well, but it does.

“Uh…I could drop past tomorrow, if you’re not doing anything…” He says on an exhale.

“Uh yeah, sure. I’ll be around”

He nods. “Okay…” He watches me before he steps back and smiles. “Goodnight”

I smile in return. “Night, Pauly” He turns and walks to the car and I feel like I just passed up the perfect opportunity to kiss him.

He waves when he starts up the ignition and U-turns down the road. I go on in. It’s weird. I really don’t understand these urges for him. It’s so weird, but…I like it. A good weird.

I sigh and shred the shirt off of me. Instant cool. Dad’s door is open, but he isn’t here. One to talk about coming in late…

I walk to the fridge and down some orange juice. I savor the taste.

Paul is just…he’s a gentlemen. Oh, God, I feel like a chick saying that, but it’s the truth. Today was really about us and he put all his needs and wants after mine and that alone just screams a man.

My man… That sends a tingling shudder through me.

_Knock, knock-knock, knock!_

I turn to the door. I glance at the clock. It could be him knocking because nobody else is crazy enough to knock on my door at 11:28. I walk to the door and swing it open.

**Emmett P.O.V.**

“I’m not doing it” Nope.

Edward doesn’t miss a beat. “You are”

“I…” I flare my nostrils. I can’t believe he’s talked me into this. Got me all the way in the fucking heart of the Wolf’s den just to-

“The quicker you do it, the faster we can leave without being spotted” Edward murmurs.

“I really don’t want to do this” I didn’t do anything to begin with.

Edward looks at me and sighs. “Emmett…” It’s a fucking guilt trip, I know it is.

“Alright!” I hop down from my branch and walk up to his door. I hold up my hand to the door to knock, but it just hovers. Do I really have to do this?

“That’s not a question” He answers stubbornly.

Oh, bitch. I knock quick and light on the door. I don’t care who answers the door, I just want to get it over with and go home.

And He would answer the door, looking all flustered and confused and shit. His eyebrows are raised and his mouth lulls open as he just stands there frozen.

His heart spikes up and blood rushes through his body, sloshing through his veins…

I swallow back the burn itching into my throat. “Hey”

He inhales shakily. “Hi…” His eyes don’t leave mine.

I look away. “Look, can I come in?” It comes out a little rough and his eyebrows shift together as he looks at me, but he nods hesitantly and takes a step back.

I step past him into the – Jesus, is this the Living Room? Got damn, this place is tiny. I feel him look outside to see if anyone noticed me before he shuts the door.

“Uhm…” He stammers. “What are you doing here?” He’s standing in front the door. He’s the only thing between me and these paper thin walls.

I look at him. 6 feet, body build similar to mine, if not beefier, and fucking sweltering eyes. It doesn’t faze me, but it’s…hard. I shrug on instinct. “I guess I owe you and apology and before-”

His left eyebrow shoots up. “You guess…”

This is getting worse. “Yeah, I mean…” I exhale. “I owe you an apology” I shrug slowly. “I’m sorry about the…”

He nods and crosses his arms. “Mhm”

“And…yeah…”

He looks at me looks away and looks back, like, is that all? Dude…

“Stay focused” Edward murmurs.

I sigh and meet his eyes. “Look. I’m sorry about the way I reacted to you telling me yesterday and for the things I said and…if I hurt you in anyway, I’m sorry”

His gaze drops and he blinks a few times before he nods. “Thank you…” He says it quietly. He meets my eyes again and then I start to feel uncomfortable.

“Alright, well…” He’s still blocking the fucking door. It’s getting stuffy in here and I don’t even get hot.

He blinks, confused and then goes, “Oh” He slides out the way and I breeze through the door before he says another word.

I run to the border. Edward falls in line beside me.

“You did alright” He says, arm reaching out to grasp my shoulder.

I slap that shit away. “Fuck outta here, can’t believe you made me do that”

He rolls his eyes. “I didn’t make you do anything. I suggested it and complied. I didn’t force you” He says. “Besides, he needed to hear it, trust me”

I frown at him. “And you really think I care?”

He shakes his head and exhales. “You should, but I don’t expect you to”

The house is up ahead now. “I doubt it” I say. I slow down to a jog when we reach the front steps. Esme will kill me if I shatter another set of her glamourous cobblestone steps.

We walk on in and upstairs. Esme, Alice, and Rose sit in the Living Room watching America’s Next Top Model or whatever the fuck it’s called. Jasper’s still nowhere in sight, what the fuck. Carlisle breezes past me from his office to the bookshelf in the Living Room and flashes a brief smile before he breezes back.

“Hey, you two” Alice whistles. She’s slouched on the couch like she should be eating a shitload of ice cream and watching _Girls_.

“I legit just saw you ten minutes ago” I come and sit next to Esme who pats my thigh with a small smile. Edward flits up the stairs.

Alice waves me off and looks back at the TV. “Whatever, it’s the thought that counts, remember that”

I look at Rose with her nose held high and loosely crossed arms. She doesn’t even look at me.

“Still mad, I see…”

She doesn’t even blink. “You smell like Mutt”

Esme looks at her. “Hey, we don’t use those terms in this house”

I shrug. “What, am I supposed to smell like Old Spice and Armani all the time?”

“Well, since you put it that way…” Alice dawdles.

Rose shrugs. “I couldn’t care less” She looks at me and then walks out.

Snobby bitch.

Alice inhales sharply and then she’s staring off into whatever vision she’s seeing. Esme clicks off the TV and hands her the sketch pad sitting on the table only for Alice to shake her head and push it away.

“No…” After a moment, her eyes lock on me.

This is new. “What?”

“I don’t…” She breathes a frustrated sigh. “I can’t see you anymore…”

I blink. “What do you mean you can’t see me anymore?” This is weird. She always sees us, even Bella.

She shakes her head, eyes too distracted. “I…I don’t know, I don’t…You just disappeared from my vision…” She blinks and she’s back. She continues to look at me. “What did you do before you came home?”

I shake my head. “Nothing”

She’s still in a daze. “Whatever you did, it blocked me out. I can’t…I can’t see you anymore”

“Nothing at all?” Esme asks.

Alice shakes her head. “No, I…I can’t. Not your future, your present…nothing…”


	10. The Trip

I stare after him, even after he’s long gone. I stumble back towards the couch and fall back on it. My heart is freaking sky rocketing!

I lay there for I don’t how long.

That was so…out of the ordinary. For him and me, like I don’t even… I never took him as the type of guy to say sorry for anything, yet…here he was in my Living Room, saying he’s sorry.

But why? I don’t get it and then who put him to it, because there’s no chance in hell he all of a sudden had a change of heart.

Alice? No. She wouldn’t know that he came and she doesn’t know about this, at least, that I know of… Bella? She hates his guts. So that leaves Edward, the sneaky bastard who knows everything.

I mean…I can’t even think it about it anymore. I don’t want to. I go into my room and slump on my bed. I really don’t want to think about it anymore, but it carries me to sleep anyway.

My eyes flash open to a cool touch running along my shoulder blades. It’s not vampire cold, but a massive difference from mine.

“Bella, I swear. You touch me again and Charlie will be dealing with a missing daughter tonight”

She sighs. “Someone’s feisty this morning” Her hands disappear and she sits on the bed.

I sit up and scratch my head. My eyes ache as the sunlight filters in the room. I snatch those raggedy ass curtains closed.

“Whoa, what is this, the Dark Ages? No way” She pulls the curtains back open.

I glare and the light streaks across my face. “How about you take your bright ass elsewhere”

She shakes her head. “Nope, not happening”

I rub at my face. “How’d you get in, anyway?”

“Billy was leaving out”

“Hm. Well…what’s up?”

She huffs. “Not you which is a problem, so c’mon”

I glare. “C’mon where?” One surprise after another.

She sighs and stands to her feet. “Just get up and get dressed. You’ll find out soon enough” She says, eyes lingering on the family portrait of Becca, Rachel and I on the wall.

I exhale and stand. “Should I be worried because you have on a dress?” I ask with an eyebrow. I’m not even joking.

She rubs at her bare arms. “Not at all” She looks down at the black and grey plaid button down shirt that she bought me months back that I never wore. “You’ve never worn this? Jake…it still has the freaking tag on it” I give her a sheepish look. “You’re wearing this” She picks it up and hands it over.

I shake my head. “I’m not” Nothing wrong with it, nothing at all.

She slams it into my chest anyway. “You are and before you do anything, you need to shower”

I sniff at myself. “I do not stink and I’m not wearing this”

“But you’re the One with the hypersensitive nose…” She rolls her eyes and walks out. “Don’t come out without it. Be outside in ten!”

I sigh and rummage through the mess of clothes on the floor. I really need to wash. I hop in and out of the shower and slip on my shoes and a surprisingly clean pair of shorts. I think it’s my last pair. Yeah, I really need to wash. I rub on some deodorant and sling the shirt over my shoulder before walking outside.

Another sunny day in La Push, which means it’ll be pouring by the night is over. There are white clouds drifting sparingly across the Sky.

I walk over to the charcoal black Volvo parked out front. Edward’s sitting in the front with shades on. He rolls the window down. Bella climbs in on the other side. I lean on the car.

“You ready?” He asks.

“Yeah, if you both stop being shady jackasses and tell me where you’re taking me”

He raises his eyebrows and looks to Bella like she’s got the answer. She shakes her head. “No comprende”

Her turns back to me with a crooked smile. I’m glaring fucking rockets. “You should enjoy it” He says all sunny.

I shake my head and pull on the shirt. “Weirdo’s…” He’s staring out his rear view mirrors once I pull it down. “What?”

He sighs. “Paul…” His eyes are narrowed.

I look over to where Paul is standing in his wolf form off to the side of the house. He’s glaring my way.

I step away from the truck without looking back and approach him.

His eyes scan me and he shifts uncomfortably and then their back on Edward and Bella.

“Hey…” There’s a whine deep in his throat that turns quickly to a growl. I shield the Sun from my eyes. “Can you phase, please?”

He eyes me momentarily and then he’s shrinking down into his self. He shakes the last bit of wolf off and pulls his sweat shorts up. “Hey” He doesn’t stop looking their way. “Do they have permission to be here?”

I look back at them. “Doubt it”

“So what, your friends with them, now?” His tone is bitter.

I rub my neck. “It’s an interesting story that I really don’t want to get into” I shrug. “I mean, we’re leaving, soon, so...”

He looks at me hard and his expression droops. “You’re leaving with them?”

I shrug. “Yeah, but I won’t be gone too long. Why, what’s up?”

He looks away from me and exhales through his nostrils. “Nothing”

I watch his form. “Is there something you wanted to do today?

He shakes his head and meets my eyes. “No, go ahead”

There is. “Don’t do that, don’t lie to me like that”

He sighs. “Okay, yeah, I did, but its okay. I’ll just see you later, then” He looks down at his feet and looks to the trees. “How long will you be gone anyway?” I can see the hesitation and neediness in his face.

“Uh I guess just for a few hours. I’m not staying the night or anything”

He bites his lip and nods. “Okay, well…” He peeks up at me through his narrow eyes. His eyebrows are creased just a little in the middle and it makes him look like a kid again.

I run my hand along his left cheek. “I’ll be back soon…” I smile a little.

He looks deep into my eyes and his mouth turns up just a little to not make him seem so grumpy. “Kay…” He says low. His hand comes up to rest on my wrist.

I love this touch. I search his face, his eyes and cheekbones and ultimately his lips. The top is a tad smaller than the lower that’s fuller. He flicks his tongue out briefly to wet them and they glisten.

I want to kiss him.

I meet his eyes and see him tighten in a smirk. “You’re not slick” I slap his jaw playfully and take a few steps back. He laughs openly and rubs his chest.

“I’ll see you later” He says and starts to jog up the street. He slaps my ass when he passes with a lip biting grin. It makes me rise on my toes, but…whatever. Ha. I’ll let him have that.

I climb in the backseat. Edward’s watching Paul go up the street with one hand resting on the wheel like he’s got half the mind to run him over. Bella’s looking directly at me.

“Well, that was surprisingly intimate” She says. We drive past him. He looks at me and waves before he turns down McGrove Street.

I exhale. “Just be lucky I’m going willingly with you two kidnappers”

It’s Edward who glances back with a smile. “Kidnappers, huh?”

I shrug. “I mean, it makes sense, right? You to sneak onto the Reservation and drag me along this mysterious trip against my free will”

He chuckles. “Mind you, it was you that got in and belted yourself into the car. My hands are clean”

“Yeah, but your girlfriend was also the One who sweet talked me into coming while you await in your Bat mobile”

He chuckles some more. “Whatever you say, man” Bella just sighs loudly.

“Drama Queen” I mumble.

“Drama King” She fires back.

We head out of La Push. “Seriously, can somebody please tell me where the hell we’re going?”

Edward looks at her. “Go ahead. Tell him” He says all shazzy and shit. “You know you want to”

Bella smiles and then looks back at me. “Okay, honestly, we’re going on a picnic”

“A picnic…” Everything about that sounds wrong. “He doesn’t eat and you barely eat and why the hell was a picnic kept so secret. I need answers, people”

She exhales and runs a hand through her hair which looks mighty different today. “Just shut up and enjoy the ride”

We drive past her street. Charlie’s cruiser is sitting in the driveway and the front door is open.

“Told you he’d forget his lunch” She mumbles. Edward chuckles.

Then there’s the change of greenery, form Wild Oaks to Redwood’s and Maples. “So…is there a reason why we’re heading to the vast Cullen estate?”

Bella groans. Edward glances in the rear view mirror. “I have to pick up something for the trip”

I can’t help it. “Like…what?”

He doesn’t respond and doesn’t look at me. Bella pretends to observe the area like she hasn’t seen it before.

“FYI, I don’t appreciate this suspense. I will surely be reporting this to Charlie”

They exchange a look and Bella smirks dryly.

Edward parks the truck outside the front door and races in before the engine fully winds down. Bella looks up at the house and in an effort to not look at me, looks at her nails.

I lean on the armrest. “Are we really going on a picnic or is that one of your many lies?”

She purses her lips. “Yes. Is it that hard to believe?”

“Because you both didn’t want to tell me until now. Kinda throws everything off”

“Well,” She huffs. “It can’t get any simpler than us three…you know”

“Mhm” I look ahead out the dashboard window. There has to be a catch.

“And him…” She grumbles so low I thought I imagined it. I see her look out the driver’s side window and then drop it when I follow her line of sight.

Edward’s stepping out of the front door. In both of his hands is a brown picnic basket and a blue cooler. I can smell the turkey and cheeses from the car. But that’s not what it’s important.

Behind him walks out Emmett. He takes a cautious look to the car and meets my eyes and then looks away. He’s dressed in a long sleeve khaki shirt that’s rolled up to his elbows over a white V-neck, brown shorts, and black boots.

In a blur, Edward moves into the car, set’s the baskets next to me in the middle seat and starts up the truck. Emmett climbs in on the other side of the baskets hesitantly without a word and we drive.

I sit back in my seat and try not to look at him dead on. He’s not paying any attention to any of us. He’s staring out the window and watching the world go by.

Damn, he’s so…fuck. His usually curly black hair even looks feisty and brushed. I didn’t even know hair can do that. The way his jaw curves so perfectly and…shit.

He’s looking at me. Directly at me. His eyes are a dark brown, almost black.

I don’t know what to do. He looks like he’s about to say something really shrewd and his eyebrows move together as if he’s about to freak out or he’s concentrating. I don’t know!

“What’s up?” He finally says. His eyes stray away and then there back on me.

I clam up. My mouth opens but no words come out. I just shake my head. “You?”

He shrugs with a flex of his shoulder and then his eyes shift back outside. He sits stone still for the rest of the ride.

He just freaking spoke to me…

I feel Edward’s eyes on me. Shut the fuck up.

Bella glances back at us. “Well, since nobody wants to talk, radio it is” She turns the dial to some random station and “We Can’t Stop” is on.

Everybody say’s “No” at the same time. Emmett cracks a sly smile before it erases from his face and Bella changes the station to something different. I think it’s Sia? Shrug. What do I know.

I pay attention to the surrounding area now because no damn way we’re still in Forks. The trees have gave way to vast fields, open air, and long narrow roads.

“Are we there yet?” I ask automatically.

Bella sighs and stares me down. I raise an eyebrows. She frowns and turns back. “Hush”

Edward drives for a bit more and then turns down a side road that’s marked by wooden arrows and boulders. He eases up at the edge of a knee-high golden grain field.

“We’re here” He says with mock excitement.

We all climb out. “Great, now you’ve kidnapped me and then taken me to the middle of nowhere. Perfect crime”

He scoffs and grabs the baskets out the backseat. I see Bella climb out and smooth out her – holy shit, she has on a dress. It’s white and thin and has straps that hang off her shoulders. It’s decorated with blooming flowers and splashes of rose petals and it stops just at her knees.

That’s all Alice. No doubt about it. She catches me looking and stops. “What?”

I shake my head. She pulls out a weaved bag and a sun hat out of that. Yep, definitely Alice.

Emmett leans against the side of the truck with his arms crossed. His face and arms are sparkling. His shirt tightens and ripples across his chest. He doesn’t have nothing underneath or maybe I’m looking too hard.

He doesn’t seem to notice me as he looks out along the perimeter. There’s nothing but crops, fresh air and an array of trees lining the back of the field.

I step over closer to Bella. She wraps her arms around mine. “You think you’re cute, don’t you?” Why the hell would you not tell me that he was coming?”

She adjust her hat. “I honestly didn’t think you’d come if I told you he was, so I didn’t say anything” She exhales. She doesn’t whisper or talk low about it. She clearly doesn’t care if he hears or not.

I shake my head. “That is such a lame excuse”

She shrugs. “Hey, it worked didn’t it?”

I roll my eyes. “I plead the fifth”

She sighs and pokes out her lips. “You’ll enjoy yourself, I promise”

“If you say so…” I sigh. Edward walks over.

“You all ready?” He asks.

“Yeah” She let’s go of my arm and floats over to him.

“Jacob, the first half of the trip is straight through this field and right through those trees to the other side. Phase if you think it’ll be quicker. Our spot is on the opposite side of the tree bank” He says.

I shrug. “Yeah, that’s fine” I step backwards around the car. Emmett’s on the other side. He bounces off the truck without a word and makes his way across the field.

Uhm…did I do something?

I see Edward shake his head. “No. He’s a little bothered from an argument with Rosalie. It’ll pass” His jawline hits the light just right and rainbows shoot off.

“Fuck that” Emmett replies as he walks away. I watch him for a moment before I keep on changing.

Bella climbs on his back and waits patiently. I slip off my shorts and concentrate on the heat and when it’s just right, I launch myself into the air and land on all fours.

I shake myself loose, let my hair free.

“Here, let me take your clothes and shoes” Bella offers. I pick them up off the floor with my teeth and drop them in her hands. She stuffs them in her bag. “You really have terrible wolf breath”

I roll my eyes and nod at Edward. He takes off across the field and I bound off next to him. Feels good to be back on all fours.

I pass Emmett on the way to the trees. He’s walking slowly like a normal human being which is odd. I slow to a trot in front of him.

He stops. “What?” It has a bite to it. His eyes are darker, it seems. Around them is a hint of purple bruising. He’s thirsty.

I don’t know what to say. A whimper whistles through my muzzle. I toss my head to the trees.

He follows me and then meets my eyes before looking elsewhere. “Yeah, I’m coming. You go ahead”

I want to stay and walk beside him, but his words push me harder than Sam’s Alpha call and I feel my feet propel me forward.

I look back to his slow, glittering stature against the golden grain.

A diamond in the rough.

I go after Edward’s scent. It leads a straight shot through the well-lit trees and goes through the clearing on the other side. I slow to a trot and go on through. 

Well, would you look at that…

To the right of me are trees that stretch all around the area in a crescent. There’s willows, pines, oaks, maples. There’s even some I don’t even recognize and La Push is tree central. Cherry blossoms are a scattered around the grounds in various sizes with different flowers at each base.

My eyes roam on. The luscious grass beneath my feet travels on and then shifts to sunbaked sand between my paws as I trot over to the water’s edge. It stretches on for miles and miles, infinite even. Loud waves crash noisily against the shore.

“Jake!” Bella shouts. I look around for her. I legit forgot they were here. I pace over to where her and Edward are sitting on a large circular picnic mat.

I walk a few feet past them and Bella tosses my clothes too me. I get dressed and join them on the pink striped mat.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She muses.

“It’s breathtaking” I say. “Never ceases to amuse me how Edward always knows where the nice spots are”

He smiles back at me. “Let’s just say I have a lot of time on my hands”

I smile. “I’ll need a list before today is over, now that you’ve made the meadow known to the world”

He rolls his eyes. “There are sandwiches, cookies, and drinks in the basket when you get hungry. Bella and Esme made them”

I take a look at the golden wicker basket to my left. It’s simply made, hand woven maybe. There’s a green ribbon tied around the handles that reads, _“You all enjoy!” – Esme._ It feels like silk.

“I told her not to bother with the materials, but she insisted on making it special for you” He says.

To me, outside of the entire house of Misfit and their abilities, Esme is the most genuine. The times I used to come over, I would always recognize the bold change of color schemes throughout the house. Once, there was like three different shades of orange and white in the upstairs Living Room. The next time, it was something close to violet and I wanna say periwinkle.

She even invited me in for lunch, once. I don’t remember why I was even there. It was a chicken Panini or something you’d find in a Panera Bread. The entire time she chatted with me over little things going on, she sewed and sang and hummed.

And God, the melodies. She barely sung over a whisper, but whatever came out was utterly beautiful and enchanting. Some were southern tunes and others were lullabies. There was one she reverted back to towards the end of our lunch, I believe I’ve heard Edward play it before.

“She likes you, too” Edward adds. “She considers you a member of our extended family”

Bella smiles a little and looks at the basket. “Wow, that’s nice of her”

I run my fingers over the basket. “My Mom used to do things like this…”

Bella’s quiet. “How long has she been gone?” Edward asks. The both of them have turned with their legs crossed Indian style.

It always sucks remembering when. “She died a month after I turned seven. It’s been fourteen years”

“She was really sweet” Bella sighs. “The type of Mom to always have baked cookies on the table when we came home from school” She smiles in reminiscence. Edward watches me with a amusement.

“Yeah…she was the best” She stayed making sweets and stuff for Becca, Rachel, and I. Dad would always say not to so we can have strong teeth like him. She’d wave him off and take a bite of a cookie right in his face just to spite him.

“Do you remember anything, any fond memories of her as a child?” Edward asks.

I look out on the water. “Uhm…you know, it’s kinda hard. Everything’s a little hazy that far back. You know, when she passed, Billy literally tried to wipe away every memory of her in the house. He took away her pictures, cookbooks, her clothes and perfumes” I shrug. “I understand, you know? He was grieving and he did what he could so that we wouldn’t hurt as bad as he did”

He nods silently. “I’m sorry”

I bring up a smile. “No, no. it’s cool. That was a long, long time ago. I got over it really fast”

Bella smiles briefly and wipes something wet off of my face.

I force a laugh. “Now, now” She giggles.

Edward perks up a little. “You know, Carlisle and I came to visit in the early 90’s to look for some property. I do recall seeing Billy on one or two occasions with a Woman a few years younger than him”

“Really? Shit. Do tell”

He smirks dryly. “We maintained a residence in Maine at the time, so we were looking for a new start. Our first day in town, the car broke down in the middle of town” He smiles as he remembers. “It was pouring down raining that day and we found the closest garage in order not to raise suspicion”

“Let me guess, Ephraim’s Garage?” I ask. Edward smirks. “I mean, he was the best in town then”

He nods. “Yeah, that’s what the locals said. Anyway, while Carlisle was speaking with him, I saw her speaking with Billy. I assume she was pregnant with you at the time, already having two younger twin sisters running circles around her and Billy. She was beautiful and she had very long black her and clear, russet skin and warm brown eyes. She was very polite and welcoming, despite knowing what Carlisle and I were. Your Father didn’t have the same personality”

I smile. “My sister’s, Rachel and Becca”

He sighs and watches me with kind eyes. “She loved you three and your Father very, very much”

I sigh. Bella’s cool hands reach up and wipe away more tears.

I pat her hands away with a smile. “I wonder if they’d even remember you after all this time...”

He shrugs. “I doubt it. They were so intertwined in their own little world’s to pay me any mind”

I smile. “Yeah…Mom was the greatest, though…” I inhale and something immediately smells off.

I catch Edward’s serious eye roll and his forehead crease. He exhales with a shake of his head.

“What?” Bella asks, curiosity stricken. Her eyes see what he see. “Oh…”

I turn and follow their line of sight.

It’s Emmett walking casually across the grass towards us. His clothes are…well. The two once clean shirt he wore are now caked in drying blood. His shorts are torn in patters, barely holding on by his waistline and there’s pine cones and needles in his hair and blood on his chin.

He takes seat on the mat and looks at everybody. “What?”

Edward exhales in disgust. “Really?” Emmett shrugs.

Bella just rolls her eyes. “The least you can do it go wash off in the water or something”

Emmett shrugs again. “But I didn’t, so…quit it”

Edward turns back to the water’s edge with a constipated look. Emmett flashes a smirk and blows his breath in his direction. Edward stands up fast as fuck.

He fishes in the basket and snatches out a green disk. “Anybody want to play Frisbee?” There’s a ting of desperation in his voice.

I look at Bella. “You can’t be serious. That’s a shot fired with the dog jokes”

Edward’s face immediately softens. “No, I don’t mean it in that way. I figured since it’s such a nice day out and we’re at the beach, why not play a beach related game?” He taps it on his hand. “So if you want to play, meet me at the water’s edge” One second he’s standing in front of us, the next he’s by the water.

I glance at Bella. “You playing?”

She shakes her head and waves me off. “I’m sport incapacitated, you know that”

I shake my head and climb to my feet. “Damn, incapacitated. That’s a new word for it”

She throws her hat at me.

I boldly look at Emmett. “What about you?”

He looks at me then to Edward. “You do realize that I’m the reason he pulled that shit, right?” He says it like it’s a normal thing to say.

Bella’s glare faster than an Atom Bomb.

“Well…” It doesn’t hurt to ask.

He shakes his head. “I’m good, thanks” He doesn’t look at me. He falls back on his hands and watches the water.

I shrug. “Okay” I take another look in Bella’s direction and then I jog off towards Edward.

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

I watch him run across the grass.

“Why are you acting like this?” Bella’s annoying ass asks.

I look at her out the corner of my eye. “Acting like what, you’re Majesty?”

She stares boldly. “That whole comment was unnecessary”

I shrug. “You make it seem like he broke down in tears because I said No”

“That isn’t the point. We’ve talked about this”

I sigh. “You talked and I listened and that’s how it went. I already apologized to the guy, what more do you want from me?”

She crosses her arms and legs. “Excuse me, but would you like an award for that?”

I slip into a glare real fast. “Look, I said I’d try and patch things up. That shit doesn’t happen overnight, geez. Give it some time to set in”

She looks away from me. “Mmhmm” She watches them play. “I’m just saying maybe you should try a little more effort”

Edward tosses the Frisbee at half the length of the beach and Jacob runs at top speed and jumps in the air to catch it in midair.

I sigh. Jacob turns to toss it back to him. “Burn his bum ass off the beach, dude!” He almost stumbles in the sand when he looks at me and then he grins.

Bella’s looking at me with weird eyes.

I shrug. “It’s progress, fuck outta here”

She shakes her head and pulls a juice out of the basket. “You know, I wonder what it would be like if you somehow did like him…”

I sigh straight-faced. “Well, imagine all you want, sweetheart, it won’t get you anywhere. I can assure you that”

“You’re telling me you haven’t given it a second thought since he told you? Not once?”

I really don’t want to get into this right now. “I mean…yeah, I mean. It’s been on my plate since he told me, what, am I supposed to forget something like that?”

She motions her hands like, bitch, carry on. “So…what’s the problem?”

I look at her. “There is no problem. I’m not gay and you already know this”

She raises her eyebrows and takes a gulp of her juice. “I’m actually quite certain that he isn’t, either. You know you two don’t have to be fuck buddies. He once told me that when you imprint, you find your Soul mate, but that isn’t always your lover in life. Not saying you can’t change, but…”

I lie back on the blanket. “Well, I can’t change even if I wanted to, so that’s dead”

“And how do you figure that?”

I shrug. “That’s just who I am and what I do as a straight, Alpha male. It just wouldn’t work, trust me”

She inhales and brushes her hair out of her face at the breeze. “That’s not a convincing answer”

I shrug. “Deal with it”

“I mean, I you really think you can’t change and there’s absolutely no doubt about it, then what was Alice’s vision about, huh?”

I close my eyes. “He told you” Little shit.

“She told me”

I don’t say anything because that shit bothers the fuck outta me.

“Exactly” She says.

I can’t be what they assume. I won’t end up being some gay bitch to this guy, I can’t.

I’m straight. I’m attracted to Women, always have been. I’m freaking married, for God’s sake.

But then that’s never stopped me before.

All in all, it doesn’t feel right. But…I don’t know. There’s something weird about the whole thing and how things are turning about.

A couple days ago, I told him to fuck off and now I’m lying here watching him play Frisbee and enjoy himself.

I won’t say shit to Bella because she automatically get the assumption in her head that we’re meant to be and that is an absolute no, bitch.

I mean…I just…I don’t know.


	11. Cliff Dive

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

“Alright, I think we should be heading back now, it’s getting dark” Edward says a little after the Sun has set.

Everybody chips in and packs up the lunch we- well, I had. Bella barely ate anything but Esme’s homemade applesauce and ¼ of the Panini’s. Emmett disappeared sometime before Edward and I called our last game of Frisbee. When he comes back, he’s cleaner. I mean, his clothes are still shredded to pieces, but for the most part, he’s decent.

Bella and Edward fall into a conversation turned argument on the way back. All I still silent in the back seat.

He continues to stare out the window, his eyes lifelessly moving across the mountains and fields.

I memorize every dip and curve of his solid cheekbones and the slight indent where his dimples lay. The way his nose comes down in a perfect arc over his pink lips.

He sighs and looks up front and then to me. His expression, though brooding, is the tad bit curious and serious at the same time.

Before I can even grasp my own thoughts, I’m mouthing “What?”

He watches me for a moment before his eyes drop. “Nothing…” He says audibly. His eyes flash back to mine before he turns back out the window.

I half think he’ll turn back with more words but he doesn’t.

I don’t even know what that was, but… I turn back to my window. The landscape rolls by like it’s on film.

We don’t speak for the rest of the drive to the Cullen’s.

He doesn’t say a word when he steps out and blurs into the house without even a glance back. Edward watches him go and with a sigh, heads in after him. The truck’s still running.

Bella plays with her fingernails when she turns back to me fully. “So…what was that all about?”

“I…” I look up at the lit up house. “I don’t even know, to be honest”

She nods subliminally. “Right…”

I huff. “I’m serious, I don’t”

Edward slides back in. “What I miss?” He eases down their driveway.

I shrug. “Nothing, I guess…”

“Hm…” He looks at me in the rearview mirror. “Don’t take anything he does personal. It’s…it’s complicated with him”

Bella nods. “Sounds like simple bullshit”

It does, but. “Which reminds me. What were you to snickering about earlier while were playing Frisbee? I heard my name come up just over several times”

She brushes a hair out of her face and slouches in her seat. “We had a simple conversation that will be better if you didn’t know of” She looks back at me. “Okay?”

“So…more secrets, is that what I’m hearing?”

She shrugs nonchalantly. “Yep”

Edward only shakes his head.

Edward drives slowly over the border into La Push. He doesn’t even drive all the way down to my house. He stops just off the main winding road before you get to the field and my house.

He turns to me. “I don’t want to get you in any trouble, if you don’t mind”

I shrug. “I get it. Thanks” I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Well, it’s been a cool, awkward day with you two, thank you” I open the door and slam it shut. “I really enjoyed myself”

Edward nods solemnly. “You’re welcome” His eyes drop to Bella’s fiddling hands.

“Yeah, well, you’re totally welcome” She says, climbing out the car herself.

He places a protective hand on her wrist, but he doesn’t grip her. “Bella, what-”

She sighs. “I’m just going to say hello” They have a stare off before Edward eases back. “I’ll be fine, I have Jake with me”

His arm drops away as he acknowledges it. “Be careful” He says looking to me.

She shuts the door behind her. “I got her, Robocop” I say. He glares and looks out amongst the perimeter.

We walk up to the house. She locks her left arm in mine. “So did you really enjoy yourself today or were you just being sarcastic”

I look at her and lick at my lips. “No, I’m serious. It was nice, despite the fact that I was kidnapped, but…” I shrug. “It was cool, no complaints”  

She nods. “Okay…just making sure”

The lights are on in the Living Room and I can hear booming voices. I exhale as we walk in.

Dad, Sam, Paul, and Seth look up at me. Sam’s sitting on the couch leaning towards Billy like he’s in mid conversation. Paul’s sitting at the Dining Room table and Seth munching on my damn Poptart’s.

“Hey, Bella!” Seth skips over and hugs her. He stops. “You’re wearing a dress?”

“Shut up” She smiles, despite the tension. She looks over to where Billy is sitting. “Hey, Billy”

His smiles. “Hi’ya, Bella” His eyes are on me, though.

She walks over to him and hugs him. “How are you?” Everybody is watching her.

He sighs. “Well, I’m…” I drown them out and snatch my Poptart’s from Seth before I turn to Sam. He inhales and stands.

“What’s going on?” I asks curiously. Something’s up. I can tell by Paul’s shifty eyes.

Sam snorts and glances at Paul. My eyes fall on the latter.

He raises his eyebrows. “I just heard Sam was coming past and I thought you’d be here, so…”

My thumb flinches. “Okay, but…” I look back at Sam and speak low. “Did you tell him about…” I gesture to Paul.

Sam clears his throat. “No, I didn’t. That is not something I’d discuss with anyone without your consent”

I don’t like the way he’s looking at me, but I let it go. “Yeah, I guess…”

I turn back to Bella. “Yeah, I’ll let her know you asked about her, okay?” She says, stepping away from Dad.

He smiles warmly. “You do that and please remind Charlie to pick me up tomorrow for the game”

She smiles a repressed smile. “Will do” She steps over to me.

“Bella” Sam speaks.

She nods awkwardly. “Hey” She turns and looks up at me. “Call me tomorrow?”

“Yeah” I say, hugging her. Dad is staring me down. She lets me go and sends a wave around the room before she steps out into the night and Seth waves after her before he shuts the door.

Paul is instant glaring out the window on instinct. I hear the wheels rotate the dirt as Edward peels off the Reservation.

Dad’s eyes are on me. “What?”

He shakes his head and looks back to Sam.

I throw a glance around the room and then go into my own.

“So what were you saying?” Dad asks.

Sam clears his throat. “Well…there is a reason for his actions the other day. Uhm…Paul-”

What the…No!

I dash back into the room. Paul’s still sitting at the table with his hands covering his face. Sam’s frozen in mid-sentence.

“Sam, what the fuck?!”

He exhales. “Jacob…”

“No, you just fucking lied in my face! What the- like what?!”

He blinks a few times and crosses his arms. “Remember who you are addressing”

I look at Dad. He’s avoiding all of our looks. “Is it true, Jacob?” He doesn’t even look at me.

“Dad…”

He shakes his head once and forces a tight smile. “No, it’s, its fine” His expression is unstable.

“Dad, I-”

He raises his hand and quietly rolls into his room and shuts the door behind him.

I shake my head and glare bitterly at Sam. “How could you…” I can’t even get the words out I’m so angry.

“You know why” He says. His eyes flicker to Paul and then back to me.

I blink back a death glare and look to Paul. He sits there with his hands in his lap and his expression in a frozen state of disappointment and sadness.

Seth hasn’t spoken the entire time. He raises his hand. “Uhm…I’m gonna…I’ll see you guys tomorrow” He jets out the door quick and shuts it behind him.

I run my hands over my face. Fuck. “Can I...can I crash at your place tonight? I…I can’t wake up tomorrow morning and see that look, that hurt and disappointment on his face” He’ll try and mask it to make himself feel better, but I know better.

Sam nods and then sighs. “Paul”

He blinks and then he’s looking at Sam. There’s no tears, but he looks like he wants to cry. “C’mon” Sam walks to the door and opens it. Paul walks out without a word. Sam looks at me and then steps out. I stare after him for a moment before glancing around and turning the lights out. I follow them out.

Paul’s walking ahead of Sam in the trees. I fall in step beside Sam.

“I’m sorry he had to find out that way” He says.

I’m not ready to go there, yet. “I can’t believe you did that…” I look him in his eyes. “You looked me right in my eyes and lied to me”

He exhales and turns away. “It was either that, or tell him the actual truth” His eyes speak words. “You tell me which would have been easier to go through”

I look at him and then look ahead to Paul. He’s walking slowly.

“Paul?” I call out to him. He falters in step and turns his head. I walk up to meet his stride.

“Are you…”

He doesn’t look at me, doesn’t meet my eyes. “I’m fine” He says quickly.

My heart drops. “Paul, I’m so-”

He shakes his head. “Don’t, just…” He meets my eyes. I can’t even place his emotions. “I’m fine” His eyes wander. “I’m gonna head home”

I just nod in silence. I want to reach out to him, but he just glances over to where Sam is watching and veers off down his own path to his house.

I stare after him, even after his shadow has blended into the dark. Sam steps past me and I fall in behind him.

He leaves the front door open. The Living Room is dark, with only the light above the stove to make up for it.

I shut the front door and slouch onto the couch. I bury my face into the pillow set out for me and inhale the faint Frebreze.

A door creeks lightly and soft footsteps are padding across the floor.

“Do you need a blanket, Jake?” Em asks.

I sigh into the pillow. “No”

“Okay. Get some rest” She says, rubbing my shoulder before she fades away and their bedroom door closes.

My eyelids feel like weights and I drop them.

I awake to a heat wave sunbaking my legs. Like somebody put a radiator right next to me.

I sit up with a start. “Move” I growl.

Seth slaps my thigh. “Aw, c’mon, Jake. We’re going cliff diving today, remember?”

When did that ever come up? “Not today, Seth” There’s voices outside the house. I lie back down.

“It won’t be any fun if you don’t come…” He whines.

I exhale. “Seth, not today” I close my eyes.

He huffs. “Well, Paul said the same thing and Sam’s making him go. You don’t see him complaining”

I open my eyes. “Where is he?”

He points behind him in the Kitchen. Paul leans against the counter with a cup in his hand. His eyes are on me.

I start to speak, but he drinks the cup in one gulp and sets in the sink and walks out.

I flop back down. Dust floats around me.

“You guys okay?” Seth asks.

I exhale. “Can you get the fuck off me? That’s the last time I’m saying it, Jesus!”

He hops off the couch. “Geez, don’t have to be a Grinch about it” He walks out.

I stand up and go to the bathroom. I stir some mouthwash in my mouth and spit it out. I stretch and walk on outside.

Another damn sunny day. Everybody’s gathered in the front yard, besides Leah and Em. Paul’s sitting on the fallen tree trunk.

Quill lets out a holler. “Thank you for joining us, Sleeping Beauty”

I roll my eyes. “Fuck off”

“So you coming or what?” Seth asks.

I sigh. “I told you, not today”

“So you’re not going with us?” Sam asks. I look him in his eyes. Emily walks out in shorts, a wicker sun hat and a heavy beach bag thrown over her shoulder.

I shake my head. “I gotta go and talk to Billy”

He nods in understanding. I turn around and see Paul’s eyes on me.

“You’re not going?” He asks. He says like he’s still mad, but its utter curiosity.

I look his way. I can tell he is still mad, but… Just say no. Say no. I shrug and exhale. “Yeah, sure. Why not” Seth shouts a yes.

Paul nods a little with his hands in his pocket and spins on his heel. Sam’s staring me down, but he nods and he and Em join hands. “Alright, let’s move” He takes the bag from Em and we start walking.

Everybody falls into a conversation while Paul walks alone behind Embry and Quill. Sam and Em walk ahead hand in hand. Seth and Jared are arguing like it’s nobody’s business.

“C’mon, tell me what I did” Jared pleads. Wait…

Seth doesn’t even look at him. “I don’t know why you keep acting all dumb like you don’t know”

“Can you just quit being a jack ass for five seconds and tell me!” Jared barks. Em and Paul look back but they’re the only ones who notice.

Seth spins around to him sharply. “You know what you said! You fucking love me? You didn’t even fucking mean it and now your-” Seth breaks off in a dark laugh. “Jesus, I don’t even know why we’re doing this. It doesn’t even matter anymore”

I almost trip over my own feet. Hell no…

Seth looks directly back at me. I just raise my eyebrows. He turns back around.

“Seth…I do love you, you know that. It’s just…”

Seth shakes his head. “Like I said, it doesn’t matter. You lied to me and I’m done talking about it” He picks up speed.

Jared starts to go after him, but he stops and just drops his hand to his waist. “Fuck”

No fucking way. Seth can’t be…could they be? I mean, that kinda explains now why Seth was so cool with the imprint, but…then again, Seth is always a cool confident. Hm.

The pathway starts to narrow as we cross from the dirt path to the rocky asphalt of the road that lines the hills and rocky’s. I peer down over the metal railing lining the edge of the road. The water’s below is a dazzling mix of sapphire and emerald.

Paul walks a few steps to the right of me. He’s staring past me over the railing, too. I move closer to him. He looks at me out of the corner of his eye and looks forward again.

Well… “I am sorry. You do know that, right?”

He doesn’t even do as much as blink. “I know. I forgive you” He glances at me. “And I wasn’t mad or anything, just…you know, hurt” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “I wish you would’ve told me about how you feel about everything that’s going on”

“I didn’t mean to lie to you, it’s just that…” I can’t tell him the real reason.           

He looks down at the ground. “You love me, and sometimes loving someone is keeping something from them that can hurt them”

I stare at him. “Aw, don’t get all philosophical on me, all deep and shit”

He grins and wow, if it doesn’t feel good to see that. “Yeah…” His grin fades slowly as he looks around and then stares at nothing.

“Could we just forget about it and move past it?” I ask. I feel like it’s the best thing to do.

He looks at me and smiles. “Yeah, but promise me you’ll tell me the truth always” There’s a hint of eagerness in his voice.

I hold out my pinkie. “I promise”

He bites his lip in a grin and crosses my pinkie with his. There’s a blush on his cheeks.

All of a sudden, Seth is sprinting towards the area we’re heading to. “I’m going first!” He yells behind him, his voice climbing up and down the ridges of the mountains.

“Not before me!” Embry blazes after him.

Em adjust her hat as she steps onto the landing at the top of the cliff that leads to the main road. She pulls out three old quilts from the bag Sam carries and lays them out on the rocks. Sam watches Seth and Embry wrestle for the first dive.

“How about a game of rock, paper, and scissors!” She shouts out, smoothing down her shirt and sitting down.

Paul flashes a goofy grin beside me and stealthily runs up and lifts Embry by his waist and tosses him over the edge. He turns to Seth menacingly. “Paul, no. No, no, no!” He backs up, but Paul swoops in and grabs him from behind and off the cliff Seth goes.

Both of them plunge down with whoops and hollers. Paul grins. Sam sits down next to Em and takes a picture of the two of them.

Quill runs up out of nowhere and smacks Paul on the ass before he back flips off the ledge. “Haha! Yeaaaaaaaaaaah bitch!”

I shake my head. “Idiots” I drop down on one of the blankets. Seth and Embry come flying up the hill drenched.

“Still cold?”

Seth shakes his head, out of breath. “Dude, its Queen Elsa freezing”

“Whooo!” Embry shakes off and water flies everywhere. Em groans. He runs a hand through his shaggy hair and there’s more water.

Ice droplets hit my skin. I glare. “Dude”

Embry stops. “Sorry, dude”

Jared walks past a glaring Seth. They both spin to look at each other and Jared walks backwards. Seth shrugs. Then Jared is being manhandled by a grinning Paul and heaved over the cliff and screaming all kinds of shit.

Embry is gagging.

Seth plops down next to me. “Getting in?”

I shrug. “I dunno” I make my voice quieter. “So, I’m curious about that conversation with Jared on the walk here” His face falls and his eyes drop to the ground. “No, I’m now, you know, joking or anything. I’m honestly just curious”

“Oh…that” He hesitates and chews on his nails. “I mean, I was going to tell you a while back. I should have told you, but…I didn’t know how, you know? I just…I didn’t”

I shrug. “Well, at least we were both in the same boat for a while” Quill runs up the hill.

He nods with a sigh. Then he gets what I said and looks at me.

“We can definitely talk about that later. We’re out here to chill out and have some fun. Because I can talk all day”

He scoffs. “’Chea, okay. Later, I promise”

I nod my head. “Ight”

He grins one more time before he rises and dashes off the cliff with a somersault.

“Hey Jake, why aren’t you in the water?” Emily asks.

I shrug and give her that look. “Uhm, it’s cold and I’m hot”

She holds her hand at her eyes to keep the Sun out. “And? Never stopped you before” Sam glances at her and past me.

Jared runs at full speed to the landing. “Gah damn, that shit’s cold!” He bends over to catch his breath. “The fuck, Paul?”

Paul burst out in laughter behind me.

I point at Jared. “My point exactly” I laugh.

She waves me off and looks out on the water. Sam whispers something to her with his eyes on me and she nods and looks at me. Sam stands to his feet with that trickster ass smirk of his. He looks at Jared and I hop up off the blanket.

“C’mon, shit. Sam, you’re better than this”

He shakes his head. “Your right, but you already know everyone has to go over. It’s tradition”

“Fuck tradition” Jared grabs at me and I swing at him. He laughs his ass off. I take a step back. “Guys, c’mon”

Seth and Emily watch with grins. Embry joins Jared and Sam and advances on me.

“Embry, I swear, you push me over and I’ll fucking disown your ass. I’ll kick your ass so hard, you’ll be fucking clipping my toenails with your teeth” I growl.

Seth freaking cries at that. Embry just grins harder. There’s a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. I count the faces in front of me. Embry, Sam, Jared, Seth, Quill…who…?

My legs are swiped from under me in a backwards grip and I’m fucking launched over the edge. The wind whips around me. There’s a grip still on my waist as we plummet faster and faster towards the water. His hands drop away as soon we hit the water with a skin tingling smack.

THIS WATER IS FUCKING FREEZING! JESUS CHRIST!

My feet slide along the shallow floor and I kick off to the surface to take in the sweet, crisp taste of air. I wipe the water out of my face and look around. There’s Paul with that stupid ass grin standing in chest deep water.

I splash the fuck out of him. “What the fuck?”

His grin falters. "What?" There go the doe eyes.

"That shit wasn't funny" I growl. I turn away from him.

He follows me. “C’mon, it was a joke” He says. “I’m sorry” His eyebrows are raised like he’s waiting for me to forgive him.

I roll my eyes. “Pull some shit like that again and I swear…”

He smiles. “Yeah, yeah? Some shit like this?” He dashes in and wraps his arms around my waist again and dunks me under.

I come up splashing and glaring.

He shrugs innocently. “You weren’t specific”

I splash him again and wade over to the rocks. I go through the curtain of water falling down from a small falls about ten feet up. There’s a shallow cave here that’s about twenty feet deep and maybe seven feet across. I hop up on the ledge and sit with my feet in the water.

Paul steps through and runs his hands through his wet hair and shit, if he doesn’t look like he just swam off a cover shoot for GQ, then damn me. He leans against the ledge beside me. He watches me and grins because I can feel my face still set in a glare. I push his head away and he chuckles and hops up beside me, one leg in the water, the other propped up. He faces me with his back on the wall.

I lie back and relax. The rock is cool and slimy, but it’s smooth. It’s serene. The falls gush down the rocks in front of us with a weird sense of calm.

I glance up at him and he flashes a smile and then looks out and then down to his lap.

“What are you thinking about?” I ask randomly.

His eyes flicker to me and his eyebrows flinch just the slightest. “Now?”

“No, next week”

He huffs and drops his eyes. “You…” He looks up at me through droplet sprinkled eyelashes.

Hm. “What about me?” I turn on my side and balance my head on my hand.

He drops his legs and pulls them in Indian style. “I dunno” He mumbles, all of a sudden finding the palms of his hand more interesting.

I rest my hand on his knee cap. Not that it’s any of my business what he thinks of me, still. “C’mon, tell me”

His face is clear of all hysteria. “The various characteristics and traits I like about you” He scratches his neck.

“Now I’m really curious”

He smiles faintly. He fiddles with his fingers. He’s nervous. “Um…I mean, I like the way your nose is shaped” That brings about a giggle from me and he looks at me like I just interrupted a wedding ceremony. “C’mon, I’m serious”

The laughter subsides. “Sorry, carry on”

He shakes his head. “Nah, maybe another time”

“No…” I slide over to him and rest my chin on his knee. “No, tell me” He looks down at me with kind, bold eyes.

He hesitates. “I love your eyes. I’ve always been a bit jealous of them, how they always seem to speak the words you don’t say and spell every emotion out on your face…” He gazes.

I can’t help but smile and blush. “Look at you, all lover boy and shit”

He grins and drops his head some. “Then I love the way you smile because your dimples show” His fingers brush against my cheek. “Then there’s your lips…” His eyes stray. “They always look so pink and soft and warm and like, even when you bite them, they just plop back out like your blowing bubbles or something” He hesitates and again drops his gaze. “Just makes me want them more than I already do every time I see you”

And right here and now, something pulls me to him like a magnet that’s so powerful, I don’t even recognize what’s happening until it is happening.

His eyes bore into mine as I climb closer over to him. I flick my tongue across my lips and his mouth draws open.

My nose grazes his, our eyes never leaving each other’s. He shifts forward slightly and his lips touch mine.

His lips, my God, are so soft and plump and cooler than the rest of him. He pressed into the kiss and his hand comes into smooth contact with my cheek. I feel his other hand slowly snaking down to my waist and apply pressure.

The weirdest moan slips out and he instantly backs away from me. The sound of our lips breaking away is so loud.

He stares at me, looking in both my eyes before he grins. “Did you just…”

I roll my eyes. “Shut up” I replace my lips back on his. I need this.

He nips at my lower lips and I pull away from him.

He’s staring at me through alert lidded eyes. This is my first time kissing a guy and it feels…different. But amazing.

His hands are hands are roaming and his fingers are stroking my jaw and lips and fuck it. The distance between us closes again and I let him in.

When our tongues collide, it’s like a sudden burst of electricity. We both inhale and fall into it. His tongue is cool and slick against my own. I feel him win over me as he explores my mouth. I grin and press in.

I’m sitting on his lap and cradling his face in my hands. His hands are running down my back and squeezing and I just…

His hands snake up my ribs and ripple over my nipples and I let out a moan that has him bucking up into me.

He sucks on nibbles on my bottom lip before he licks his way down to my neck. His tongue laps everywhere and I just can’t handle it! I grip his hair and fall back into him, giving him more access.

He licks his way down to my collarbone and traces his teeth alongside it. He makes his way back to my lips.

Fuck it. I’m greedy. I grab at him more and more until I can feel his heart drumming with intensity in my own chest. His hands are everywhere at once. Our kiss has grown sloppy, but soo good! I feel his hands creeping down my shorts and I just…I-

“0No fucking way…”

I break away from Paul fast as hell and whip around to see Jared standing there watching.

“Like, oh my God!” He grins.

I panic. I push away from Paul and climb into the water. I wade over to the rim and get out.

“Jake!” Paul runs after me. I storm up the hill.

“Aw, Jake, c’mon!” Jared’s walking right behind me. I’m so mad right now. “C’mon, I was just saying-”

I turn on him quick. My hands are all in his face. “Don’t you say a fucking word!” Paul’s holding me back from him.

Jared raises his hands and steps back. “Alright, dude, shit chill”

I exhale and look at Paul before I keep walking.

“Damn, what he do, drown you?” Quill asks lying in my spot on the blanket with Seth right next to him.

“How about you drown on this dick and move” I nudge him with my foot.

He rolls his eyes but moves. “Somebody’s pissed”

I flop down and just simmer. Seth looks at me. “You alright?”

Jared walks past with a nervous glance in my direction. I glare daggers. Paul lies out on his stomach horizontally behind me and Seth.

“Yeah, he annoys me too” Seth says.

I turn to him. He looks calm and young, but there’s a storm brewing behind those milk chocolate eyes of his. I lie back on Paul some. “That story is going to be so good” Paul’s body heat is surprisingly soothing.

Seth chuckles shyly and stares off for a while as his smile fades. Embry and Quill dive back over the cliff. Jared sits on the edge and watches them with glee.

Paul stretches his hand out past my right thigh. He drums his fingers on my skin. A knowing smile flashes on my lips when I turn back to him. He’s like a mirror and holy shit.

We just kissed! I just had my first kiss with him! I flit my fingers through his and he attempts to hold my hand, but I smack his wrist. He only grins.

I honestly didn’t see us going there, like, at all. A few hugs here and there, maybe some touching, but that…wow.

My first kiss with a guy was epic. Kissing Bella ain’t got shit on this. She and I were caught up in the moment, but this…? I mean, were we caught up? It was so unexpected and sudden, yet utterly amazing.

I hear Sam and Emily talk in hushed voices. I don’t look at them in order to cause suspicion.

“I don’t know if now would be the time. He’s been going through some things lately, you know that” He says.

She sighs. “Sam, it’s a week and a half away. When _is_ the right time to ask?” I can hear the sternness in her voice.

He exhales. “Emily…”

She shakes her head. “Just ask him. If he says no, then we’ll ask the others”

He clears his throat. “Jacob?”

I look over innocently. “Yeah?”

He adjust his position on the blanket to turn to me. “I’d like to ask you something” He glances at Em. “More of a proposal”

I roll over onto my stomach. “Dude, if you’re asking me to be your Best Man, hell yeah!”

Em burst out in a grin. “Oh my!” She waddles over to me and falls all over me with a hug. “Aw, thank you so much, Jake!”

Sam contains his excitement with a tight lip grin. “Thanks, Jake. Means a lot to me” He holds out his hand and we dap up.

“As if I would say no” I scoff.

“Shit, if I was asked” Paul says.

“Yeah, hey” Seth chimes.

“Bottom line is that he asked me” I brag. Paul shoulder bumps me with a smirk and Seth just groans. “I’m sure you two will be my back up or something”

Sam laughs. “No, I was hoping all of you guys will be involved, actually”

Paul nods. “Don’t even have to ask me”

Seth beams. “What? Hell yeah!” Emily grins.

“So…when are we going tuxedo shopping?”

Sam shrugs and relaxes back into his position. “I’m not too sure, yet, but definitely soon. Possibly before the weekend is out”

“You know, now that I think about it, a tux may be a bit too much” Em adds. “You guys will get really hot standing there in full length suits. I know for a fact that Sam plus an extra eighty degrees won’t work out well” She gives him a knowing look which he reflects with a grin.

Paul shakes his head. “See, I knew you guys wouldn’t wait till the wedding”

Emily blushes with a shady look.

Sam’s face falls dead serious. “That’s enough of that”

I hold in my laughter. “You always got something to say”

He grins and leans towards me. “Can’t blame me for what comes out my mouth” I swear that has a subliminal message attached, but he just bats his lashes and keeps on grinning. I push him away from me and he laughs.

I look out at the clear blue sky. You can see for miles from where we are. It’s beautiful.

I catch Sam’s look at Paul and I. His eyes linger on the both of us before he smiles approvingly. Paul looks at me and tries to contain the blush bleeding into his cheeks.

I bump his shoulder and he drops his head and bumps back.

“What is with you two?” Seth asks, lying on both of our backs. “All of a sudden so secretive”

I almost push him off, but I catch Paul’s mischievous look. Hell yeah.

“You know, the hardest part of a business is minding your own” I say, rising to my knees. Paul does the same.

Seth looks at me like that doesn’t make sense. “What? That doesn’t even make sense!” He stands to his feet and scratches his head. Paul and I both exchange _that_ look.

“Meh, it was worth the try” He says and we both dive in and take one of Seth’s legs.

“No, put me down!” He shouts. He’s kicking and screaming and we’re laughing hard as fuck. “I’m serious! Stop!”

All three of us go over the cliff at the same time. Seth screaming and cussing us out, Paul and I still laughing.

Fucking hilarious.


	12. Thirst

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

I’m crouched on an old Redwood branch some thirty feet from the ground. My prey, a mother grizzly lies out lazily as her cubs play and wrestle a few feet away.

I hate the fact that this is the only thing Washington has to offer. Yeah, there’s the occasional mountain lion and deer, but everything else is trash. And I mean everything. The malls, the sights, the clubs. Everything.

Even the people are trashy. Nothing but dreamy blondes who want to make it big in the world with no vocals and dusty lacrosse and baseball players who’d rather fuck their way to the next pitch then play for it.

My throat itches and my vision goes out of focus for a second and then back again. That fucking itch.

I watch the cubs play some more before their mother rises and beckons them after her.

It’s now or never. I sink into my springing crouch for the kill. My nails dig into the bark and I-

_Doon, doon, doon, do-do-dodododo! Doon, doon, doon, do-do-dodododo!_

I almost crack the branch in half. “The fuck!?” The bear’s sense their inevitable death and stroll off.

_Doon, doon, doon, do-do-dodododo!_

I snatch my phone from my pocket and glare at the screen.

“Why the hell are you calling me? I’m pretty damn sure Edward is within two feet of you”

“Well, good afternoon to you too, Emmett” Bella says.

I’m pissed. “You just made me lose my food. What the hell do you want?” I look around the area and shit, the bears are gone. There’s no deer, no nothing. Fuck. I drop down from the tree and land on the balls of my feet.

There’s a sigh. “Sorry about that, but I need a favor”

“If it involves me and you in the same space, it’s not going to happen”

“Oh, come on, Emmett” She says. “I just need a ride”

The fuck. “A ride? Bella, you drive a ’63 Chevy”

“It’s having some problems. C’mon, Emmett” She’s getting to that wining stage that I just can’t stand.

“What do you think you called a cab service? Where the hell is Edward?” There’s a colony of ants marching up a small mound of dirt just by my left foot.

She huffs. “He had to go, said he had something to do today”

I roll my eyes. Why? “Where are you?”

“I’m here at your place. I’ll be ready whenever you are, but don’t take your time” She says.

“Mhm, bye” I hang up and pocket my phone. I burst into a sprint back to the house.

Damn Bella. All three of those kills could have been mine. All that blood could be sloshing in my throat right now.

My throat screams in agony and all I can do is swallow it down. It’s not going to hold off much longer. I shouldn’t have waited this long to feed anyway.

Alice and Bella are sitting in the Garage laughing and sipping tea. I feel eyes on me as I walk up inside and I glance up. Rosalie stares down at me with her arms crossed.

I raise an eyebrow. “Something you wanna say?” She rolls her eyes and turns away from view.

“Hey there, Emmy” Alice chirps.

I shrug out of my hunting vest and throw it on the rack. “What’s up?”

Alice rolls her eyes before she grabs the vest and looks over it. “At least it’s still in good condition” She looks up at me. “I’m guessing you didn’t hunt yet, did you?”

“No thanks to you” I turn my attention to Bella.

She shrugs nonchalantly. “Of course it’s me”

I snatch my keys off the key loop and walk to my Jeep. “Uhuh. Whenever you’re ready, loser”

Alice skips over before I even climb in. “And where are you two going?”

I shrug and look at Bella. “It’s a ‘top secret’ mission” She quotes with her fingers. Alice and I both look at her strangely and she just shrugs.

“Anyway” I turn back to Alice and slam my door. She makes a pointed face at Bella and then looks at me skeptically and I already know what she’s thinking.

“I’m fine, Alice. Don’t worry”

She looks at me a little more with sympathy in her still golden eyes then nods. “Okay, well Bella darling. You two have fun, wherever you’re going. I can’t see it, that’s why I asked, but I’m sure you’ll be safe and sound with your new bodyguard” She taps my arm with a tight smile.

I roll my eyes. “Eat me”

Bella laughs. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks, Alice”

She smiles and joins her hands together. “You’re welcome”

I pull out of the driveway and head down the street. Alice waves before she turns and goes inside.

“So shouldn’t I have some type of indication on where we’re going?”

She pops. “It’s just like you’re going to my house, but a little ways past it” Her eyes roll around the trees going by.

“Hm” I take her street and drive casually.

I can hear the blood thumping under her skin. If only I…

I lean out the window on my arm and inhale the air.

“You okay?” She asks.

I look at her out of the corner of my eye. “Yeah, I’m fine”

She fiddles with her seatbelt for a moment and then refocuses on the road. There’s little to no traffic as always, so it’s pretty quiet. I click on the radio. Some ZEDD song plays with a sick beat.

“Ugh, I hate this song” She flops her head back on the head rest.

I side eye her as I ease up to a red light. “I’m sorry, something better to talk about?”

She turns her whole body dramatically towards me. “Okay, so hypothetically speaking and this is just a scenario, so don’t get pissy. If you and Jake-”

“No” It’s instantaneous.

She doesn’t skip a beat. “Emmett” She sounds like somebodies mother.

“No, like, I don’t understand why you’re trying. I’m not attracted to this dude, I don’t want any type of relationship with him, like. I don’t see why you keep on about it”

She stares at me and then turns back around in her seat with her knees on the dashboard. She pulls out her phone. She says “Alright” Like she’s over it, but I know she’s not.

Okay, look, I lied. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he’s a cool cat, but…or dog” I add. “But, I mean…I don’t see anything happening” I look at her as the light changes.

She looks up from her phone and chews on her lip before she shrugs like she still cares. “I get that, I do, but…you might want to-”

“It’s still no”

She cuts her eyes at me. “-make this left”

I look up at the intersection. We’re further out from the city than her house. More forestry than people. I make the left.

“And the question still lingers. Where do you need to go?” We drive down a winding veering hill.

She inhales. “Just keep driving, we’re almost there” She pulls out her phone again and I guess text’s whoever.

Everything is familiar. The type of trees lining the decent of the main road, the sweaty and cool humidity, and the pungent smell of dog shit.

“This is your right coming up” She says, pointing up to a side road.

“Where the hell are we?” I turn on the street and drag down the road smoothly. On the right of us, there’s the tree line and further up the street is a neighborhood. On the left is a red house siting on the edge of a field with fading red paint and a smaller house behind it.

I slam on breaks. “You did not make me drive you to his house” I whip around to her.

She sighs and unbuckles her seatbelt. “I needed a ride and you were available, so…” She shrugs.

“Bullshit!”

The front door opens and out strolls Jacob. I glance at him once to see his eyebrows are meeting as he walks towards the street with no fucking shirt on whatsoever. What the fuck.

“Quit being a drama queen and say hi or something” She shuts the door.

I stare at the rear view mirror as she walks around the front. I puff out my cheeks and blow. The fuck.

“Hey, Jake” She goes and I click my tongue and look at the two of them.

“Hey there” He goes. She hugs him with her back to me and his eyes catch mine.

I just do a simple wave and he waves back with a weird glimmer in his eyes. They separate and she turns back to me like she was expecting my ass to be out of the car handing out hugs.

I blink and shake my head. “I’m not staying with you if that’s what you’re implying” She glares. “I’m sure Jake can take you home…”

He looks at me even as he turns to her. “Yeah, sure. No problem”

She rolls her eyes hard as hell and takes him by the wrist and walks towards the house. “Whatever” He looks back at me.

Their relationship is too…what, sensual? I guess that’s the word. Too touchy feely. I don’t see why Edward didn’t make her quit him already. They freaking kissed, for fucks sake!

I kick the engine back up. _Rym-rym-rymsppppppptttterrr!_

“Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I try it again. “Man…”

The engine turns over a few times and then dies. _Rym-rym-rymsppppppptttterrr!_

“Yo, what the fuck?!” I smack the shit out of the horn. The entire steering wheel crumbles. I exhale and drop my head. “Fuck”

“Did you need some…help?” He asks.

“What the fuck” is my first reaction. “Why does it matter?” This is my fucking pride and joy.

He shrugs like the words didn’t hit him. “One, your engine rolled over twice and I’m a mechanic. I can take a look at it if you want…?”

I stare at him. His heart picks up and there’s that hot, fresh, thick blood whirling through his veins.

He moves his head and waves a hand. “Emmett?” He’s a step closer than Bella.

I inhale and hold it in. “I’m fine” I hop out. “The battery is probably just dead, which makes no fucking sense because I haven’t drove it in two months” I pop the hood.

I can feel him hovering just over my shoulder. I rub at my neck and look at him. He doesn’t flinch back or anything, just looks. He looks me directly in the eyes. He’s different somehow. I can’t place it. Nor do I want to. He just is.

He opens his mouth to say something and then shakes his head and closes it and his eyes drop to the engine.

“Do you even know how to handle a Rubicon?” I ask.

He nods and leans into the front to expect it more. “Yeah, I’ve worked on a few before. I always wanted one as a kid” He glances up at me. “My garage is just outback, if you want me to take a closer look?” Again with the damn questions.

I glance at Bella with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised. It’s not like I don’t know how to fix it, though. “I mean, if you know what you’re doing, by all means”

He looks up at me and nods. He takes a step back with his hands on his hips and looks at the truck with deep eyebrows. “Maybe we could…”

I sigh and lift the truck over my shoulder by the bumper. I handle her as light as I can. I’m not trying to break anything else.

“Do that…” He says, looking around real quick before walking alongside me. “Oh, you can head inside. Dad’s in the Kitchen making lunch if you’re hungry”

“Well, how long are you going to be?”

She’s fucking pessimistic. “As long as it takes”

She glares daggers. Jake just scoffs just waves it off. “I don’t know”

She rolls her eyes. “Alright. Be careful” And then she’s gone with one more lingering glance. Somehow, I know that’s directed to me.

He skips ahead and opens the doors to his garage. There’s tables on wheels with car bits and three cars along the floor. One’s raised in the air on a jack and the other is off to the side with the hood popped open. The other car, the orange one is off to the side. The windows are surprisingly clean and the floor is swept. It still has that oily, mildew smell to it, though.

“Where do you want it?”

He pushes three of the tables out of the way. “Right there is fine”

I set the Jeep down.

“Okay…” He runs his hands through his hair and peers inside while leaning on the outer shell. He murmurs something about 3-bits and some type of oil and nods to himself.

I stand back and watch as he rolls one of the carts over and carefully chooses several tools from the collection. He leans over into the hood and his back arches as he loosens and unbolts the machinery. A sheet of sweat works his way onto his skin in a minute.

Wait. What the hell? Why did I just think that? I shake my head of the thought.

I look around in order not to look at him and my eyes stray to the burnt orange Volkswagen parked off by the door.

“She yours?” I asks stepping over.

“Huh?” He peeks up. “My rabbit? Yeah”

It’s dirty, but a genuine classic. “They don’t even make this model anymore. How’d you grab snag one of these?” Damn, she’s sexy.

He leans on the shell of the Jeep. “My Dad bought it at an auction in town last year for my birthday. Think its sexy now, should’ve seen her before I fixed her up”

It's dirty, but a classic. They don't even make them anymore.

"The rabbit? Is that what you kids are calling them these days?"

He chuckles a bit. "Nah, just me"

I finally catch on to the nickname when I see the tags. “Rabbit? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?”

He looks at me with s sly smirk and shakes his head. “Nah, just me” There’s a grin and he scratches his head.

I look at him. “Hm. So how long have you been into cars and stuff?”

He shrugs and a rag appears off the cart. He wipes his forehead and turns back to the engine. “Uhm…since I was twelve, I think? Just always loved cars, loved the way the move, how they operate, how they look and feel”

He knows what he’s doing. He’s moving his fingers slowly and twisting and turning whatever’s down there smoothly.

I’ve never seen a – well, can’t say never. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a human so dedicated and prideful in what they do.

“So…” He veers back and leans on the hood, his back arching. “I was going to let you know before, but…there’s this…” He pulls out a small black tube. “Was in your engine”

 

I take it from him. “Fucking lipstick?”

He steps back. Maybe I didn’t realize how close we are, but then he holds his hand out to the engine. “And this…”

On the side of the engine is a neatly drawn face with a heart where the smile should be.

I rub my face. “Fucking bitch” Rosalie.

I can’t tell if he’s skeptical or what. “Well, the good news is that it’s out, but uhm the bad news is that you’ll need a whole new engine and band ‘cuz that stuff got pretty deep”

I exhale and crush the tube in my fingers.

He watches me closely and then subtly takes another step to the side of the truck.

“Dude, why do you keep moving away from me?” I look him dead in his eyes. “What, are you scared of me or something?”

He blinks and drops his gaze to the truck. “No, it’s just…your eyes are really dark and I don’t wanna…you know…”

I roll my eyes. “It was rhetorical, man” It’s more of a mumble. He doesn’t say anything back. “So can you fix it?” I switch back.

He inhales and puts his hands over his head. “Uh yeah, definitely. With the right parts and a day or two, she’ll be red’ to go”

I look down at the Jeep. “How much?”

He looks too. “I’m guessing…around six hundred for the parts and then another two-fifty for the steering wheel and a another four for the belt”

Hm. “I meant how much would I owe you?”

He looks up at me a little startled and confused. “Oh! Oh, no. I’ll do it for free” He shrugs.

“For free?” I cross my arms. “Wait, why?”

He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “I don’t know, just…don’t wanna charge for something I love doing”

I raise an eyebrow. This kid’s nuts. “You’re supposed to do the exact opposite. That’s how you make a living”

He nods. “Yeah, I know” He shrugs again.

It hits me slower than it should. “Oh, you don’t want to charge _me_ for it”

He looks at me and shrugs even smoother than before. “Yeah, I guess”

I chew on my lip. “Hm…”

“Yeah, did you want to take it and bring it back for me to fix it when I got the parts or leave it be and…?”

I sigh. “Well, I’m definitely not taking it with me. You know how strange I’d look, a six foot man made of glitter with a jeep balanced on his shoulder?” I smirk a little because it’s actually not a bad idea. “I mean, it’s not a bad idea, but hey. I do have a rep to maintain”

He flashes a smile. “True, true. My bad”

I nod. “You lock up every night, right? I’ve heard wolves are slightly careless when it comes to other people’s stuff”

He smiles like he’s unsure of the jab. “Not even remotely true and yes, I do lock up. I check every now and again, unless I forget” He adds.

I manage a smile. “Well, alright then” I turn to head out. “I’ll drop back in tomorrow with the money for everything”

“Alright, cool” He walks alongside me, but turns back. “Forgot my keys”

I shake my head. “C’mon, man. My point exactly”

He laughs some and he slams the hood shut. I turn and start walking to the house, but there’s a loud crash like glass or something just fell and he inhales sharply.

I turn back to him. “What?”

He grips his hand. “Nothing, I just…ah. I cut my hand on the saw” There’s a shit load of sharp metal shit on the floor by the overturned cart.

My eyes snap to the saw. Its teeth hold thin slices of his skin, all edged in blood.

My eyes finally lock on his hand. Blood gushes from his fingers and trails down the underside of his hand before it falls to the floor.

Everything stops. The air, the scent of the grass and the oil, everything just stops.

I focus on the thick blood splashing into the floor in a small puddle now. He applies pressure with the rag but it only pushed more blood out before he raises his hand to his mouth and…

His heartbeat stutters when he looks up at me.

I lose it.

He’s pinned on the floor underneath me faster than I can blink. His heart thunders in my ears and he’s staring at me with wide eyes and deep breaths.

I feel his blood pumping underneath his thin skin to his wound. The venom pools in my mouth. My throat is ablaze.

His chest is heaving. My eyes follow his pulsing veins to his hand. A deep growl vibrates from my throat.

It’ll only take a second to bite through…only…a…second…

His breath hitches and it takes everything in me to fight the urge to rip into him. I look at him. His eyes are blown wide and there’s that pungent smell of fear in the air. His heart beat is loud enough to echo around the Garage.

Wait. Wait… I flinch back from him and step back.

He scrambles away to the truck and his eyes don’t leave mine. He’s in shock.

Shit. I almost killed him. I don’t even know how to- “Jacob…”

His eyes shift away and he shakes his head and he stands to his feet. He looks up at me again with anger, fear, and shock etched on his face.

I shake my head. Can’t believe I did that… “I’m sorry” Before he even breathes it in, I run out of the doorway.

Jesus, Emmett! What the fuck was that?!

I didn’t just…what? The fuck!

I run past the border, past the house. I can’t go home and have anybody see me like this.

I can’t…I can’t even think straight.

I stop once I’m far from home and just plop down on the ground. I’m at a high point, probably a mountain or something.

The images of the blatant fear in his eyes just keeps going and going in my head and I can’t take it.

I just…I can’t even…

I’m sorry. What the fuck is wrong with me?


	13. Aftermath

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

What? I don’t even know what just… I just-I don’t…

He almost bit me… He was so close… I was on the floor and he was on top and…I look down at my hand. The blood is drying now and the wound is healed, but I can still feel like he’s there ready to lick it away.

I just breathe. My heart is jackhammering against my chest. Just breathe.

The front door of the house slams shut and there’s feet crunching across the gravel. Shit, Bella.

My eyes fly to the blood on the floor. I snatch the rag off the table and wipe it up as fast as I can.

I look up just in time to see Paul lingering in the doorway. “Hey” He beams.

I toss the rag on the cart and push it away from me casually. “Hey, what’s up?”

His eyes trail after the cart for a brief second before he’s looking at me strangely. “What’s wrong?” His eyes rake me over and fall to my hand. There’s an alarm ringing behind his pupils.

I shake my head. “It’s nothing, I just cut myself on the fucking saw” He takes my hand without moving a muscle and examines it with a disapproving look. His eyebrows shoot up.

“You okay?” He asks.

I nod. “Yeah, I’m good” I wipe the blood off on my shorts.

His eyes linger, but he doesn’t say anything more on it. He inhale and blinks then inhales sharper again. “You smell that?”

I inhale. “No…” Of course I do.

He flares his nostrils and looks around. “Smells like bleach or something. Like a leach or something’s been through here”

I shrug. “Yeah right”

He turns back to me with an eyebrow raised and shrugs. “Anyway, what you working on?” He crosses his arms and peers over to the jeep.

“Uh a friend of Bella’s needed some work done. Shit’s all busted up” He expects the damage from over my shoulder.

“Looks like they fucked it up pretty bad” He’s super close. I can feel his vocal cords vibrating.

I pat the bumper. “Yep” He hovers for a second before he presses against me, but not too close.

I poke out my lips and lean my head back on his shoulder. He looks down at me. “I wanna kiss you again…” He says it like he’s been thinking about it all day.

I swallow the spit building in my throat. “What’s stopping you?” He’s such a good kisser.

He smiles in my ear and his hands slide around my torso. “It’s just…” He smirks in my ear. “I don’t think you understand how good of a kisser you are”

I laugh. “What?” I turn on him. “That’s the first time I heard that”

He grins bashfully. “I mean, those lips of yours are really something”

Hm. I lean in and kiss him. “Yeah?” I kiss him again.

He nods. “Yeah…” I kiss him again and this time he follows me when I reel back. We smile but our eyes lock and it’s over.

My hand slithers around to back of his neck and our chests collide. We move slow and lazily like we have all the time in the world. Our eyes are closed and our tongues feel like eels the way they slide around and send jolts of electricity through me.

He sneaks his hand down onto my thigh and presses himself closer althewhile pushing me back slowly until my butt touches the bumper of the jeep.

The kiss slows and his hands come to cradle my cheeks. I open my eyes and he’s staring at me so honestly and open right now that I can’t even deal with this moment. He places soft kisses on me and my hand comes up to hold onto his. He nips at my nose lightly and then rest his forehead against mine gently.

I lock eyes with him and those caramel canyons. He watches me and then playfully smiles the softest smile ever.

And then Bella walks past the door and scares the shit out of me. “Jesus, Bella!”

Paul steps back and promptly glares right through the tin wooden wall she’s hiding behind. I swear if he had heat vision-

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She sighs. “I was just wondering what was taking you so long, sorry! Sorry Paul!”

He looks at me with a fluid neck roll. “The fuck?”

I shrug. “Give me a second!” Her feet shuffle along the gravel and she’s gone.

I walk into the middle of the space and just look at him. He leans back against the bender of the car with raised eyebrows.

“So…” I start.

He looks away with a slow eye roll. He steps closer to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “Moment’s ruined, besides, I just stopped by to say hey”

I pout and he smiles. “We’ll catch up later” I nod and he’s pressing his lips against mine again. Another soft, tender kiss and his hand is sliding down my back and oh my… His hand squeezes my ass and just like that he’s walking away grinning.

“Your killing me” I follow him on out.

He walks backwards across the field. “Oh, trust me, I got you later”

I can’t even imagine. “Yeah, I bet” He laughs and takes off.

I lock up the Garage and go up to the house. Bella’s leaning on the door.

“You’re a mood killer” I say, opening the door.

“Okay, so I’m not even interested in what I just saw and why it just happened,” She turns in to follow me. “But I would like to know where Emmett went”

I pause in the Living Room. Forgot he was even… My neck all of a sudden feel tingly. “Uhm…about him” I turn on her.

Bella crosses her arms. “Jake, I don’t want to come between anything you have with Paul or whatever, but I thought I was doing the right thing with you and Emmett”

I feel my face slip into confusion. “What? No. No, no, no. It’s not that, just…” She awaits with open optimism. I exhale. “I…I mean, I don’t even…”

She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. The faded Captain America shirt looks good on her. “Just spit it out, what happened?”

I sigh. He’s going to kill me anyway. “He almost…well, he bit me” It feels word coming out of my mouth and I instantly regret it.

She blinks once, twice and then drops her hands from her head. “What? You’re…your serious?”

“Shit, yeah” I raise my wrist. “Cut myself and he just lost it, but Bella-”

She fucking loses it. “Are you fucking kidding me!”

**Emmett’s P.O.V.**

I bury my face in my bed at home. I still can’t believe I fucking almost bit him. Like, I will never get over that.

I hope he’s okay. He didn’t lose too much blood, but I probably sent him into shock or a stroke or something. My God.

There’s shuffling on the steps and then the door is swinging open. I snatch a book off the nearby shelf and try to look preoccupied.

“Now, you know me better than that” Jasper says. “I have always been able to tell when you’re being evasive and now, I’m curious as to know why?”

I drop the book. “Look, when you start telling people where you run off to, then we can talk about that”

There’s that southern chuckle as he crosses the room and leans along the window. There’s a flair of bourbon and cigars that floats around him. His hair is cut shorter, but he’s pretty much the same.

“I told you,” He glances back at me with sly eyes. “I went to visit Peter and Charlotte down in New Orleans” He peers out at the trees. “I told you that three days before I left” He glances back at me.

“Well, anybody else know your home?”

He shrugs smoothly. “Edward, maybe. Where’s Alice?”

I shrug. “I guess they went to the mall or something. I don’t know, I just got in this morning” I sigh and run a hand through my hair. It’s getting curlier and thicker. May need Alice to cut it.

I feel his eyes on me. “Look, don’t come back reading me out” I do my best not to sound rude. “It’s just been a long week”

He slides down to the seat by the window. “You wanna talk about it?”

“No” It’s not that I don’t trust him not to judge me or anything, it’s just… “I don’t know”.

He sits back and crosses his legs. “I feel what you feel, so if you don’t want to…”

I exhale. “Then tell me, oh Bipolar One, what am I making you feel, huh? You tell me because I don’t even know what I fucking feel” It comes out in blur of words and before I even think it over, it’s out there.

He doesn’t reacts out of term. He watches me in his composure for a second before he shifts and opens his mouth. “You’re angry…confused…regretful…” His eyebrows furrow together. “And there’s lust…” He watches me. “Am I right?”

I exhale and look down at my hands. “I fucked up, Jas. Like, big time fucked up”

“Okay, well, if you don’t want to tell me how, what will you do to fix it, if it’s fixable?” He asks. “What’s your strategy? Give it to me on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst”

“Probably a nine, nine and a half” I know damn well it’s a 13, but it’s not as bad as it could have been.

“Hm…” He runs his hands down his thighs. “So what’s your plan? What do you intend to do in order to fix what you fucked up?”

“I don’t even know where to begin…”

“Yeah, I’m curious to know, too” Edward interjects from the doorway.

I avoid his eyes. I look everywhere but his eyes.

“Edward” Jas stands.

Edward rips his eyes away from me. “Welcome home” They hug and when Jas steps back, Edward’s eyes drop back to me.

I exhale. “Something to say?” I feel my eyebrows raise.

Jas takes one calm look at the both of us and sees the storm brewing. “I’ll leave you two alone. We’ll catch up later” He pats Edward’s shoulder and then slips out the door. Edward hasn’t even blinked.

“Just…don’t, alright. I’ve been beating myself up about it all fucking day, okay, I don’t need any shit from you”

He pads into the middle of the room. “I just don’t understand how you the hell you let something like that happen?” He crosses his arms.

And I don’t want to be in here anymore. “I went hunting in the morning and then Bella called and scared the fucking bear away and…Rose fucked the jeep and he said he’d fix it, but he got-he cut-he…” I can’t even get it out without seeing images of his blood dropping to the floor and the fear in his eyes. “I just snapped” When I meet his eyes, there’s no sign of unwanted sympathy. “What, you think its bullshit?”

“Complete utter bullshit” He says smugly.

I stand to my feet. “How the fuck is that bullshit! It was a got damned accident! I didn’t hunt and he cut his fucking hand, what the fuck was I supposed to do!?”

He watches me in silence. “You almost fed on him”

“What the fuck!? I just-Fuck it!” I turn around and go out the open window and drop to the ground. He follows me.

“Look, I’m not saying any of us are perfect-”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re saying!” I turn on him. “It was a fucking accident!”

He simmers in his glare. “Accident or not, your mistake almost cost him his life!”

I stare at him and then look away. My jaw tightens and I close my eyes. “I fucking know that…” All the fight is draining out of me now.

He exhales. “He’s going to need an apology and quite truthfully, I’m not even asking at this point”

“I can’t…” I sigh and wipe my forehead.

“You owe him this” He says.

“I can’t look him in his face and see that-that scared shitless in his eyes! I just…”

He sighs. “You’re going to have to. He’ll need it”

Hell, I’ll need it. I let my head drop and close my eyes. “What if…what if he doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore? Like, you know? Like…what if he doesn’t even want to see me?” I don’t even know why I care.

He shrugs and his face is calmer and now brimming with sympathy. “Whatever happens happens” He blinks. “And you care because you want to, somewhere inside”

I don’t. “I don’t care”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be still thinking about it and wondering if he’s okay” He fires back.

I sigh. “That doesn’t mean anything”

He exhales. “Look, you can beat yourself up and deny it all you want, but I just want you to do what’s right for him”

I look away from him.

“You don’t have to apologize today, I know you won’t. Just…” He looks at me. “Be sincere”

Whatever. “Fuck off”

He exhales and then walks back to the house. I rock back on my heels and fall down in the dirt and lean against a tree trunk.

Why do I even care? It’s common sense to worry about someone body, especially if you are the one that hurt them. I shouldn’t care and I don’t want to, but I do.

I just…I don’t know anymore.


	14. Invitations

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

“So…Jacob, listen, uhm…look, I wanna say I’m sorry for what happened the other day. I was uhm…fuck” No. It doesn’t sound sincere enough.

I stare at myself in the mirror. I’ve been at this all freaking day and I still haven’t gotten it right. Why is this so hard? Maybe because I look so smooth doing it, it looks like I’m lying.

Again. “Hey, Jake. Uhm, I want to apologize about yesterday…”

“Meh, sounds like a good start” Edward says from the door.

I’ve never rolled my eyes hard enough. “Would it kill you to make your presence known?”

He drops his expression. “On another note, will you hunt again before we go?”

I narrow my gaze. “You think I’ll make another mistake” Well, fuck me if my tone sounds bitter.

He just crosses his snarky arms and raises his nose. “Yes and I also want you to be sure that your well abled to be around him safely” He sets my black book bag on the floor. “Just in case”

I sigh. “I’m fine, just let it go. I juiced out yesterday on a pack of mountain lions by the creek”

He hums. “Once there’s an apology, a well-mannered acceptable apology, then that can be considered” He steps into the room and his eyes skip around.

I drop my hands. “I really have to do this…”

He doesn’t even look at me. “You’re not really asking me that, are you?”

I roll my eyes. Moment gone. “No. God knows I don’t want you preaching to me again”

“Hmph” He mumbles and turns on his heel. “Meet me downstairs in five. Bella will be here in a bit”

“I think I’ll take my chances and walk” He raises an eyebrow. “Don’t want you to be worried about your girlfriend’s life”

His face darkens in a scowls and leaves the room. I take my book bag from the floor and hop out the window and burst into a sprint as soon as my feet touch the ground.

I may have fed yesterday, but the thirst never goes away. It sits like a small flame in the back of my throat like a furnace that grows hotter and more irritable the longer you go without blood.

My eyes roam the country side and I skip up a tree and start bouncing from one to another. It’s easier for a divide and conquer this way. I hop four trees and stop. It’s still day time, but in this particular spot it looks like late evening with the shading of the trees.

There’s a family of grizzly’s napping right below me. The mother and father are cuddled up with two of their cubs nestled between them, but my eyes catch sight of the one unlucky cub that strayed away on its own about thirty feet away.

I grin. I close in and drop down on it. It roars a cry but I shut it up as soon as my teeth lock down on its neck. Flavor explodes in my mouth.

I get so caught up in the never ending supply of life that the roar in front of me startles me. I look up to see the family witness their loss. The father rears up on his hind legs and the mother bares her teeth.

I grin. “Well, shit, it’s my lucky day” I dive for their throats.

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

_Knock, knock, knock!_

My eyes flutter open.

_Knock, knock, knock! Bang, bang!_

I sit up and rub my eyes. I glance at the clock. “Oh hell no. Who the fuck is at my door at eleven in the morning?!” I growl. I slip off the bed and stomp my ass into the Living Room.

“Dad?” I look into his room to find it empty. He wouldn’t have gotten the door anyway. 

_Boom, boom, boom!_ “C’mon, Jake, open up!”

“Hell naw” I unlock the door. Sam and Seth are standing front and center.

Sam sighs. “Good morning”

I glare him dead in his eyes. “Couldn’t you just call or something before you beat down my door?”

He steps past me. “I did, the line was busy”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, well my door isn’t made of steel” I turn to Seth who’s trying his best to sneak past. “And I swear to God, if you bang on my door again, I’m beating your ass”

He steps back and gulps. “Okay, sorry. I don’t want no trouble, geez”

Sam inhales with his hands in his pocket. “Guys, really. It’s too early”

I roll the fuck out of my eyes. “Whatever” I grab my water bottle out of the fridge and flop down on the couch. “What’s going on??”

Seth flops down on the couch adjacent to me and Sam sits on the other one.

“Wait, before we even say remotely anything, may I ask if you are going to put anything else on? I don’t think, at least I can speak for myself, that I don’t want to see your junk and butt. I really don’t need those images in my head” Seth groans, adverting his eyes.

“Their boxers” I glare. “Would you rather them off?” I run my thumbs around the waistband.

“Nope!” He looks away, eyes closed and cheeks pink. “I’m good!”

“Exactly. My house, my rules. You deal” I grab at my dick for emphasis.

“I was just saying” He looks anywhere but at me.

Sam huffs loudly. “Anyway, we’re going to check out some groomsmen attire, you and the rest of the guys”

I blink. “Today?”

He nods. “Emily and I made a mutual decision to bump the wedding up to this upcoming Saturday, the ninth to be exact, so yes, today”

“Wait…wait…” I start, but Seth beats me to it.

“But it’s…Monday, the fourth, which means you’re getting married in less than four days” He blurts out. “Uhm…”

Sam nods. “Yes…is there a problem with that? I’m listening”

I sigh. “No, but dude. There’s so much that still needs to be planned and done” Shit. “Yeah, granted the wedding wasn’t supposed to be for two more weeks, but what about the guests and the families and the food and the honeymoon and the cake? Jesus, the cake”

Sam exhales and relaxes into the seat. “That’s another thing we decided on, not having the whole explosion of a wedding. Something basic and within out budget, but memorable. Hannah and Helen are supposed to get here on Thursday, hopefully, and your sisters are flying in on Wednesday night to help out with the rest of the Bridal arrangements” He smirks at my face. “I got everything worked out, relax”

_Knock, knock!_

I kick up off the couch. “Hopefully? What the hell? Why didn’t they just come last week? Would’ve made things crazy easier” I open the door.

“Morn…” Paul’s words tumble out his mouth as his eyes droop down to admire my body before they snap back up to me caught in action. There’s a blush on his cheeks when he tries to restart miserably. “Uhm…morning”

A chuckle bubbles up from my chest. “Morning, boy” He grins and steps past me and his finger runs past my thigh that leaves a trail of flames, I swear.

Sam gives him a nod. “Morning, Paul”

“What’s up, guys?” He replies, shoving Seth’s leg’s off the couch and plopping down next to him. I retake my place on the loveseat opposite of him.

“So how are we going to pull this off in four days is still the question at hand here?” I ask.

Paul blinks at the new information. “What, four days? Why’d you move it? Are you in that much of a hurry?” He laughs.

Sam’s brewing glare shuts his face down. “There’s no rush. Her family and everyone are still coming, food and things are still set, it’s just everything’s closer”

Seth lulls his head back on the couch. “Okay, so that sounds good and all, but…where’s the ceremony taking place, anyway? That’s the major thing that nobody’s talked about. That and the cake”

Sam blinks once. “Another thing that’s still up in the air” All our hands go up. “Nah, listen. She believes we can have a simple ceremony out in the front yard and just dress it up, but I think the field could possibly be more ideal” He yawns. “As far as the cake goes, I can ask Mrs. Grady to whip one up?”

“But that’s dumb. She and Miss Charlotte are doing all the cooking. I can get one, got some money saved up” I offer.

He raises his eyebrows. “No, I’ll-”

I shut him down. “I got it, man”

He shrugs. “Alright, that’s settled, then” He throws a look at Seth who just smiles.

“Okay, so clearly the church is a no” Paul says.

Sam nods. “Well, we want it to be somewhere more unique, out of the norm”

“Hm…” Unique… Different places flash through my mind and then there it is. “Well, what about the meadow?”

Paul looks at me dull faced. “What meadow?”

Sam catches my eyes. “The meadow…?” I can see the gears trying to spark in his head.

“Yeah…where you and I met up last week?” I throw a look at Paul out of the corner of my eye.

He catches it and processes. “You know what, I like that. It’s well lit, great space, you know, ample room for decorations, seating…I love it” He smiles.

I return the favor. “Remember it was my idea”

Seth grins. “But, let’s not forget, we still need Em’s approval”

Sam sits up. “She’ll love it, without a doubt” There’s a sense of pride and excitement in his posture.

“Okay…” Paul looks at me funny. “Since that’s fifty percent settled, what are we wearing? ‘Cuz I’m sorry Sam, but I’d be damned if I’m wearing a tux and it’s supposed to be nice Saturday”

Sam smiles anyway. “You will if I gave you one” Seth and I laugh.

Paul shrugs. “Meh, you’re probably right”

Sam smiles and rubs his thighs. “Nah, I’m kidding. No tux. Something simple and cool that everybody can match in is all”

“Alright, well, while that subject breaches, I’m going to hop in the shower real quick” I turn to go down the hall.

“Ight…” Paul goes. I can feel his eyes follow me.

“Finally” Seth adds.

I slip out my briefs and turn around, dick swinging. “Whenever you’re ready to meet him, you let me know”

His jaw drops and he looks away. “Thank you for scaring me for life!”

I laugh my ass of and I go into the bathroom.

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

I look down at what’s left of the bears at my feet. Nothing but a pile of fur and bones. The bugs have already come to finish the job.

I wipe the blood from my chin with the back of my hand and lick it away. I look down at my clothes and for the most part, everything is still intact. The only thing torn is my denim shirt and there’s some grass stains on my legs along with a few scratches and scuff marks. Then there’s the blood that looks like somebody pulled a _Carrie_ on me. I smell like mingled blood, ass, and dirt. Fuck.

I check the book bag to see if it’s still intact. Damn near indestructible.

“Okay, so I need a shower…” I inhale and sniff out any water nearby. There’s churning sounds coming from up North. I make my way there in no time.

The churning turns out to be a waterfall that’s gushing out from atop a 12 foot stack of boulders on a ridge. The water runs down into a shallow pool and onward to the hills to my right.

I take a quick glance around before I strip down. There’s blood here and there, but there’s mostly dirt and drying mud clinging to my skin. I rummage through my bag for a bar of soap. Well, shit. There’s a clean washcloth, towel, my axe shampoo, sunscreen and an entirely fresh outfit folded neatly.

I take the washcloth, the soap and shampoo and slide into the water. It’s lukewarm, but it doesn’t bother me. I wade right into the pounding falls and rinse off before I sud up and rinse off again. I take my time with my hair. These curls are a story of their own. I rinse off my hair and then step out and grab my towel.

I empty the rest of the bag out. There’s a tan t-shirt, socks, brown cargo shorts, and my grey Nikes.

I dress slowly. I still don’t know what I’m going to say to Jacob. I know a simple ‘sorry’ won’t cut it, not this time. Maybe I can give him the silent treatment and he’ll catch on and know that- No. What the hell, then I’ll have to deal with Edward’s consistent bitching and that’s just no. I rub on the sunscreen and drop it back on the bag.

I sigh and slip on my shirt and do a quick check. Shorts on, shirt fits, boots tied. I’m straight. I slide the bag over my shoulder and then my phone rings. Also surprised that it made it through the fight. “Yes?”

“Did you make it to Jake’s yet? We’re just pulling out” Bella asks.

“No” I say dryly. “Had to take care of something, but I’m on my way now” I start walking. It’ll take me no time to get there.

“Alright. See you in a bit” And she hangs up before I can.

I take off and reach the boundaries of La Push in seconds. I slow to a walk down his street, but I stick to the side of the road, right next to the trees. Not that I care if anybody sees me, but whatever. I’m not just thinking about myself anymore.

I hear four different voices coming from his house, two more than there should be. I look up and down his street before I walk up to his door and I pause in mid-knock.

What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if I scared him off? What if… What if I’m just bitching? What if I’m the one overreacting? Yeah.

I exhale and knock twice.

“Who is it?” Somebody asks, and it’s definitely Seth. He and Jake are like inseparable.

“Sue” Someone else says, teasing.

“Quit it” says another who’s stronger in tone. That’s definitely Sam. “We all know you wouldn’t like it if it was Will at the door”

“Oop” Seth goes.

The door opens and whatever expression Sam had on his face drops faster than stone and transitions into an abyssal glare. His eyes run me up before he looks at me direct.

“Cullen” It’s a dark growl. “What are you doing here?” I can see him tense up. Literally, his muscles start bulging.

I cross my arms. I tower over him by just a few inches. “I’m looking for Jacob. Is he here?” I arch an eyebrow and glance past him. There’s Seth and another dude standing in the Living Room. Before Sam can even utter a word, the other boy steps forward.

“What are you doing here?” He asks. I think his name is Paul. He fought with us when we fought the Newborns. Cocky, muscular, and defensive. His eyes are flashing pure danger. A ticking time bomb.

“I don’t think it matters who I’m here for, just know it’s certainly not you”

He inhales and takes a step forward.

“Paul, inside now” Sam says watching us.

Paul glares me down. “I don’t give a fuck. You’re on my turf, Leach”

I smirk. “You wanna go, Bambi, let’s go” He’s nothing. Not even on my level.

He takes one more step and Sam is on him and in his face. “Get inside now!” Paul stares him off but Sam wins and when he looks my way for that final glare, I click my teeth at him.

“Good boy” His face turns red and he storms inside knocks something over. I shake my head and look at Sam. “Look, is he here or not?”

“What the-what are you doing?” There’s his voice. I can’t see him, but he’s there. “Paul?”

Paul’s quiet and then Seth is walking out. “Hey, Emmett” He smiles.

“Wusup” We dap elbows and he turns on his heel and stands by me. Sam glares him down until he moves towards them.

“Jacob” Sam says. His eyes move back to me. I don’t know if he thinks he’s intimidating me or what, but it’s not working.

There’s footsteps. “Yeah, wha-” He freezes in the doorway when his eyes lock on me.

I won’t lie and say that my stomach doesn’t flutter, I just don’t know why. “Hey” I sigh.

His voice hitches in his throat. “Uhm…hey” He’s not shirtless for once. He has on a forest green t-shirt and black shorts.

I roll my eyes fluidly to Sam. “Damn, do you mind?”

Sam cuts his eyes away from me. “Paul” Paul walks out with his eyes set on me like he was staring me down through the walls. “Inside, Seth” Seth nods and dips inside with a glance back and Jake looks at Sam before he goes inside and shuts the door.

“I think I’ll stay” He says hovering by Jake.

“Oh, I’m scared” I say.

He lets out a growl and instantly Jake rips his eyes away from me and blocks me from Paul’s view. “Alright, it’s okay. Paul, I got this” I look past Jake and see Paul’s glare slip.

“You sure?” He asks. Oh, c’mon…

Jake nods. “I’m good, man” He touches Paul’s shoulder and something about that feels all types of wrong to me.

“Okay…” Paul goes and he looks back at me. I raise my eyebrows and he stomps away. “Fucking leach”

Jake runs his hand through his hair as the door closes. His eyes wander before he focuses on me.

“So…what’s up?” I ask. Have to start somewhere.

He shrugs. “Nothing” He squints at me in the sunlight. “I uhm…” He glances back at his Garage. “I finished your Jeep…”

“Yeah?” Just what I didn’t want to talk about it.

He nods meekly. “Yeah. You wanna check it out?”

I shrug. “Yeah, that’s cool”

He nods and steps back inside and comes back out with his key. I stay back five feet as we walk over and he unlocks it. There’s a car cover on it and he snatches it off.

“Damn” It’s been washed and cleaned. I come over and look inside. The steering wheel’s been remodeled and polished. I lift the hood. The whole engine’s been replace with an entirely new chrome one, new band and all.

“Knew you’d like it” He says off to the side. I can hear the sense of pride in his voice.

I turn to him. “You know all I need was the engine and steering wheel fixed, right…you didn’t have to do all this”

He shrugs like it’s nothing. “Nah, I know. I just…I had nothing but free time. Just knocked what I could out and brushed up on whatever was needed” He smiles humbly.

I look back at it. “How much was everything?” I rub the hood.

He inhales. “Well,” He breathes. “I know a guy who runs an Auto Zone up in Seattle. Got it at a big discounted rate”

“Oh…thanks, really” I look at him.

His eyes soften just a tad as he smiles. “No problem. Are you driving it out or…?” He points his thumbs to the outside like he’s about to jet.

“Yeah, uhm, but maybe later…” C’mon, man. Man the fuck up! “Fuck, listen...” I meet his eyes. He wavers in his stance and his eyebrows are raised in curiosity but then there’s that look in his eyes again. He’s still scared of me. His heart is thundering in my ears.

There’s jogging footsteps and my entire apology is ruined as soon as Paul darts around the corner.

“Jake?” Soon as his eyes lock, that glare reforms.

Jacob looks at him and wipes his forehead. “Yeah?” I lean against my truck.

Paul’s eyes fall from me and to the truck before cutting back to Jacob. “You ready? We’re pulling out”

“Uhm” He fidgets a little. “Yeah, just give me a sec. I’ll be right there”

Paul’s eyes linger on his face for a moment before he nods. “Okay…” His eyes once again cut to me and he walks out.

He has his back turned to me.

“You going somewhere?” That really fucks shit up.

He sighs. “Yeah, we gotta go shopping for wedding tuxes or whatever” He turns back to me.

“Who’s getting married?”

“Sam and Emily. I’m not sure you’ve met her, but yeah” He shrugs.

“Oh…” It’s a mumble. I’m nervous.

Both of us stand silently. He rocks on his heels and knocks his fist together with his eyes closed and then he just stops.

I exhale. “Listen…”

“Please just…” He meets my eyes. “Don’t apologize for what happened”

I blink and my eyes widen. “What? What do you mean don’t apologize?”

He shrugs and drops his head. “I mean, I know how hard it is for you with the thirst and all and I know how it feels to lose control, so…it’s fine, really” He swallows and looks at me. “Besides, no scars, no damage, right?” He fakes a light chuckle and looks down at his hand.

I walk over until I stand toe to toe with him. I look him in his eyes and here goes. “No. You may think you understand, but you don’t and it’s not fine” He looks down at his feet.

“I slipped up and I should have known better, I do know better, but I…” I sigh and cover my eyes. “I’m really terrible at this”

His hot hand takes a hold of my wrist and then he’s pulling my hands away from my face. There’s a smile, a real one this time. “Your fine…” His eyes shift between mine and my lips. “And thank you” He blinks at my raised eyebrow. “For caring enough to come back”

I flash a grin. “Don’t mention it” I push his shoulder. He grins and pushes back.

“Hey, Jake? Sam said-” shouts Seth as he walks in the Garage. He stops in mid-step and his eyes shift from Jake’s to mine. “Uhm…am I interrupting?”

I shake my head and take a step to the right. I just realize how close we were. “Not at all, kid”

Jake glances at me. “Nah, we were just talking. What did Sam say?”

Seth raises his eyebrows. “Sam’s ready to go”

He nods and our eyes meet before he exhales. “Alright, I’m coming”

“Alrighty” He smirks and skips off.

I walk on out. “I’m assuming he knows…” I watch Seth walk up to the group and relay the message.

He nods and locks up the doors. “Yeah, he was the first person I told”

“Ah. What about Bella and Sam?”

“Well, he found out the night I told you” He says with a careless shrug as he checks the lock. “I told her the day before”

Well, damn. “Hm, so he knows. Okay, that puts things in perspective”

He meets my eyes quick and looks away. “Did he say something?”

I shake my head. “Nah, just felt weird”

We walk side by side slowly and I mean, his house isn’t that far from his Garage, but whatever. Sam and his little rascals are all waiting out front and shits got me bugging.

“Sucks that you’re about to leave, to be honest” I say.

He turns to me and the Sun’s in his eyes. “Why?”

I shrug. “I wanted to invite you out with me today…”

He stares and his face brightens a little. “Really?” His heart spikes.

I shrug. “Yeah…I mean, Bella and Edward will be there too, just, you know”

He nods and licks at the inside of his cheek. “Oh…”

“They don’t trust me alone with you” I say. “More Bella than Edward”

He smirks dryly. “Yeah, sorry about that”

I shrug. “Nah, it’s nothing. Besides, you’re about to leave, so maybe another time?”

He looks at me again and his cheeks flush. “Uhm…” His hands slip into his pockets. “I’d rather go with you guys since I have options now” He grins at me.

I can’t help but smile back. “Alright, well…” I see them turn down the street. “It’s up to you”

His eyes stray to the Volvo as he scratches his chin. “Yeah…well, let me see what they say” Sam and Paul still glare daggers, but Seth is the only one with the knowing eyes. Punk.

“Ight” I walk over to the truck as he stops to talk to them.

“Hey” Bella says as she leans across the seat to look out the window. “Is he coming?”

I shrug. “Not sure, he’s checking with Sam or whatever. Where are we going anyway?”

“Don’t worry about it” Edward flexes his eyebrows. “You’ll enjoy yourself, I’m sure” His eyes stray behind me.

“They’re not even supposed to be here, what the fuck!” Paul goes and I turn around to them.

“Paul, chill out. It’s not that serious” Jake says, over him.

Paul’s face balls up. “What? Jake, they aren’t supposed to be here! The fuck do you mean its not that serious?”

“They’re not here for you!” Jake shouts and everybody just looks on in shock besides Seth who takes his agreeable stance beside him. “These are my friends, regardless of what they are” He says.

Paul crosses his arms. “Jake-”

He shakes his head. “Look, I’ll see you later” He turns his back on him and walks toward us. “Sam, I’ll call you” He glances back at him and Sam reluctantly nods with brooding eyes.  

I raise an eyebrow at him. “You good?”

“Mhm” He nods, but his eyes don’t linger. “Let’s go” He opens the door and climbs in. The door slams shut.

Everybody is still standing where they were. Seth raises his eyebrows like, “Damn” I walk over to the other side and get in. Seth offers a wave as we do a U-turn.

Jake’s looking out the window. The guys are walking down the street opposite of us and the only one who looks back is Paul who literally turns all the way around and walks backwards until we turn the corner.

I turn back to see him looking at me and he inhales and forces a smile on his face.

I smile back.

It’s going to be a long day.

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

Wow. No, really. Wow. From Laser Tag to Bumper Cars, today’s been just been a hella of a Monday. Emmett’s been…I don’t even know what to call it. Uber cool? I dunno. Whatever happened, it suits him.

I look at him as we drive. He’s texting something on his phone at lighting speed and just as fast he types, he drops it in his lap and looks at me expectantly. “You alright over there, Bum?”

“Bum?” I laugh. “Okay, so I’m the bum because you almost rammed me off the track? Explain that to me”

He grins. “Well hold on. I only resorted to drastic measures after I received a special spotlight show at the damn Laser Tag place” He laughs. “You and that damn laser”

“Well,” Bella turns around. “Quite truthfully, both of you guys are bums because I burned both of you out, so there”

His head swivels to her. “Your bum ass, you cheated. You got Dark Wing Duck on your side” He points to Edward who just laughs.

“Welp, I guess somebodies angry” He says.

“Yeah, whatever” Emmett replies, jokingly. It’s nice to see him grin and have fun. It’s not fun to feel him having fun, though, because he will murder you in cold blood in competitiveness.

I look out the window at the shopping center and store fronts we just turned into. “Where we going, anyway?”

“There’s a Friday’s, an Olive Garden, and a Red Lobster and I think a Chick-fil-a somewhere over there” Edward points. “Pick your pick”

“Hm…I’m dying for a burger, though”

Bella groans. “Jesus, what, me too!”

“Friday’s it is” Edward turns into the parking lot and parks.

“They’re not even packed so we should have pretty good service” Emmett says once we get out.

"How'd you know if it's packed or not?" I ask as we walk along the sidewalk.

He shrugs simply as he falls into step beside me. "The typical restaurant has a one hundred and thirty limit of patrons they can have, including staff, and by looking at the parking lot and from what I hear inside, there are about a good…twenty-five people here”

“Interesting observation. You good at math?” I ask.

“Am I-Bruh, I am good at everything” He grins, holding the door as we walk in. “Don’t sleep on me and my skills”

I laugh. “You wish”

He’s right, it’s not busy at all, yet there is nobody at the front counter to offers us a table.

“C’mon, there’s an empty booth over there” Edward says, pointing to one by the far windows overlooking the parking lot.

We walk over to it. I swear the room quiets down as we pass people. It’s a reasonable crowd, a few families, couples, young people and singles here and there.

Edward motions Bella to go first and before he sits down, she stops him. “Let Jake sit here” He looks at me and shrugs and backs out of the seat. She pats it down. I raise my eyebrows as I sit next to her.

Edward slides in opposite of her and Emmett is across from me confused. “Purpose of that?” He asks.

She shrugs innocently. “I dunno. Thought it’d be best if you guys didn’t sit so close” She shrugs again. “Problem solved”

I nudge her. “Bells, no…”

Emmett’s glare is cold as ice. “I’m so over you, it’s not even funny”

“Emmett” Edward warns, his voice deathly low.

He doesn’t even look at him. “No, let her say what she has to say. I’ll wait”

I nudge his foot and his eyes find mine. I shake my head slightly. He stares at me and then rolls his eyes.

Edward’s hand slides across the table to Bella’s. They make eye contact and she sighs.

A girl with blonde and purple hair appears next to me at the end of the table, surprising the shit out of everybody. “Hey, Guys. My name is…” Her eyes stray to me, Emmett and Edward. She barely looks at Bella.

Bella groans. “Every time, I swear…”

Edward flashes a charming smile at the Waitress. “Mindy, my girlfriend would like to order now”

Her eyes snap to Bella with instant disapproval. As if it matters. “Oh, uhm…sure. Can I start you all off with some drinks and an appetizer?”

Bella folds her hands and drums her fingers on the menu. “Yeah, I’ll just take a coke for now”

Mindy nods and then looks right to Edward. “And for you?”

Edward politely shakes his head and nods to me. Mindy flashes a nervous smile and then looks to me. “I’ll just take a mango lemonade”

Mindy nods and then looks to Emmett. “Alright, and how about you?”

He smiles shyly. “A water will be fine” His eyes lean to me.

I feel my cheeks burn and chew on my lip.

“Okay, so I will be right back with your drinks, mmk” She grins and floats away in a daze.

“You know sugar is bad for you? Goes right to your gut” He says.

I shrug. “My body burns it off five times as fast as this one” I point to Bella. “There’s not an ounce of fat on me, man”

He smiles slyly and I don’t know why. “If you say so…”

I don’t know how to not take that as flirting. His eyes are glittery in this light and just…Jesus. He looks around the room and then back up at me with a smile.

Another girl materializes. “Okay, so I have a water, a coke, and a mango lemonade” All the glasses hit the table with weird clinks.

“Thank you” Bella slides her drink and Emmett takes his.

The girl doesn’t even look at me. “So this must be yours?”

Edward forces a smile and nods to me. “His actually”

She almost drops the straws. “You’re…” She gulps. “You’re welcome” She lays them on the table with her eyes straying to me and back to Edward.

He looks directly at Bella, the Waitress to be damned. “You ready to order?”

She nods as she looks down at the menu. “Yeah, I’ll take the grilled shrimp and sirloin sizzler, well done”

The girl jots it. “And for your sides? You get two” She glances down at Emmett who is paying her no mind.

“Um…the steamed broccoli and grilled corn sounds good” She closes the menu.

The girl takes it and stares at Emmett. “And for you?”

He exhales. “I’m not hungry, however, my friend is. The one you’ve blatantly ignoring the entire time”

She blinks at me embarrassed. “I’m sorry. What can I get for you?”

I don’t give her the satisfaction. “The Jack Daniels Burger with provolone cheese and loaded fries, please. Thanks”

She nods with a shady glance back. “Alright, let me go put those in and I will be right back, okay?”

“Sounds good” Emmett mumbles with a hand running through his hair.

She looks at him to Edward and back. “Are you two sure I can’t get you anything?”

Emmett just ignores her completely, his eyes on me. Edward only smiles. “No, thank you”

She inhales and bounces on her legs. “Oookay. I’ll be right back with your food” She flashes a smile and runs off.

“Annnnd what happened to Mindy?” I ask.

Edward smirks. “She’s in the back telling her coworkers about the Greek gods she’s waiting on” A male waiter walks past, average build with a name tag that I wanna say reads Aiden with green eyes that don’t leave Emmett’s face until he’s out of sight.

I snort. Emmett’s eyes rake me up and down before they cut away to look out around us.

Bella exhales loudly. I give her the look. She takes a sip and then looks at me. “So…”

“So…” I reply.

She gives me the look now. “Jake, don’t play a game you can’t win”

I raise an eyebrow. “Darling, you may want to quietly dismiss yourself before shots are fired”

“Don’t come for me because I come loaded” She scoffs.

I roll my eyes. “Anyway, how’s everyone doing at your place?” I ask both Edward and Emmett.

He shrugs. “Everyone’s doing well. Esme’s doing great, she’s looking into law school for her fifth PhD. Carlisle’s busy at the Hospital, uhm, Jasper just came back from his vacation in Texas and suspect her and Alice are spending time together. Rosalie is Rosalie” His eyes flicker to Emmett who snorts.

Two new waitresses pop up, twins. “Okay, so I have the shrimp and sirloin sizzler with fresh veggies…” One says, setting the tray in front of me. I slide it right along.

“And I have the Jack Daniels burger with load fries” Says the other. She sets it in front of me.

“Now, if there’s anything I can get you guys, just ask” One says. Her name tag reads Kelly.

“We’re good, thanks” Emmett snaps. He doesn’t even meet their eyes, fortunately for them.

They nod and disappear. Whatever they say in the Kitchen has Edward rolling his eyes.

“They think we’re the cutest angels to ever roam the Earth”

I shake my head and dig in.

“Now you understand why I’d rather stay in and cook” Bella mumbles, her fork going to town.

“Hmph. That I do, that I do” I demolish the burger. Sauce is everywhere.

Emmett watches transfixed. “Damn, slow down” He jokes.

I almost choke laughing. “What, dude, I have a fast metabolism and a huge stomach” I wipe sauce from my mouth.

He rocks back with a sly smirk. “Uhuh”

I swallow again before I speak. “So is this everything for today?” I ask Edward.

He nods and rubs his chin. “Yeah. I didn’t want you two to overexert your energy. Besides, you have a curfew to meet and you have to get home by eleven” He says the last part to Bella.

She stops eating. “You’re still feeding into that bullshit?”

He sighs. “Yes, Bella. I respect your Father’s authority. You know that” She looks at him and sets her fork down. Clearly, this has happened before.

I catch on. “Wait, hold on, what? What curfew?”

He taps his temple lightly. “Sam”

Mindy, the original, comes back. “Hey guys. How is everything?” I feel like her entire squad will follow suit as soon as she leaves.

“Everything’s fine. No dessert, just the check and a box” Edward says without a glance.

She nods quickly. “Alright, I’ll be right back” and she’s gone.

Edward inhales. “You wanna go outside?”

Bella pushes her plate away. “Box this for me?” She asks.

“Yeah” I stand up to let her out. Mindy’s back before they can even take a step.

Edward thanks her with a nod and turns to Emmett. “Grab the check?” Emmett nods and Edward follows Bella out.

He moves into the middle of the booth and drowns the entire glass of water.

“I thought you couldn’t consume regular foods and stuff?” I say, boxing her stuff.

He shrugs and sets the glass down. “I mean, it’s not like its concentrated bleach or sewage or anything. It’s just water”

I shrug. “Meh, I guess that’s accurate” I slide the box away and reach for the check that’s in his hands. He looks up at me and hands it over.

“So…I have a question, more of a statement, really”

I slide the check away and lean on the table. “Shoot”

“I notice that you stare at me…a lot” His eyes illuminate in the light. “What’s up with that?” He asks, calmly.

My eyebrows raise. “Oh, uhm…” I shrug. “I dunno”

“Nah, I’m not saying that it’s bad or weird or anything, because it’s not,” He makes sure I get the point. “It’s just that…” He chews on his lip. “I was just wondering, that’s all”

I nod and look around. “I don’t know, honestly. It’s become a habit now, but I don’t really mean it”

He cocks his head up. “Which leads me to my next questions” He hesitates and looks around. “Which should probably be self-explanatory with your, you know, but…I don’t know. I guess I have to know it”

“Okay” I smile and arch an eyebrow. “Feel free to let it out” I sip at my lemonade.

He nods and looks at me intensely. “Do you think I’m attractive or hot or even cute?”

I almost choke.

He smirks.

“Why would you ask that?” I remember how to breathe. “You did that on purpose”

He shakes his head with a grin. “No, no” He sits back in his seat. “I just wanted to know what you thought about me, both physically and mentally”

“Oh…” I look down at my glass. I didn’t know these things could be so damn good-

“Well?”

I look up at him. “I mean, yeah, I do. Both that answer and the question were self-explanatory, man”

He nods. “Yeah, I thought so, too, but…” He stares off. “I mean, I…” He looks at me again and I don’t know what type of look is in his eyes. I can’t really place it. Vulnerability, maybe?

“You what?” Is this going where I think it’s going?

He shrugs slowly. “I dunno”

I blink. Maybe I misunderstood. “Were you going to ask…?”

He rocks his head. “Maybe,” His eyes simmer. “If you ask me, first…”

“Ask…” It rolls off my tongue like water.

He stares intently.

“Okay, uhm, well, do you think I’m attractive or cute or whatever?” This can’t be happening, no really, it can’t.

He blinks and runs a hands through his curls, all the while his blazing eyes on me. “I guess I could say yeah, that I do”

My heart skips one beat. “But wait. I thought you were…”

He folds his arms. “I don’t know, honestly. Confused or whatever, but I don’t know. I don’t understand. It’s weird. Before you imprinted, were you?”

I shake my head. “Nah, I had that thing for Bella, remember?”

“Yeah, but, not even a little bit?” He asks. 

I shake my head. “Nope” Not that I could remember.

He nods and his eyes stray as he processes what he just admitted to. “Welp. Now that that’s out there and our cards are on the table, you ready to go?

“Yeah” I glance around for Mindy.

He takes a look as well. “She’s over there” He whistles sharply and the entire restaurant drops dead silent as everybody stares.

“You’re so embarrassing” I tease.

He grins and slips a hundred into the check book when Mandy comes. “Keep the change” He rises out of the booth. She takes a step back as we step away.

“You girls have a good night, now” I saw to our fan club hovering a few tables over.

“Bye!” They all shout and wave.

He shakes his head with a grin as he holds the door open for me.

Edward and Bella are sitting on a bench cuddled up to the left of me. It’s grown a bit chilly for a summer night, to be honest.

“You guys ready?” Emmett asks. He’s standing rather close.

They look up at us and we head to the truck. Groupies past us.

“Damn, he’s fine” One says.

“Bae material, but clearly taken” Says another.

Then there’s a guy. “Fuck, the Caramel one. He could pound me for days”

I laugh out loud. “What?”

He grins out of embarrassment and sass and they keep on. “Girl, stop. His Bae going drop kick ya ass”

“Shit, they both could double team me, fuck!”

I look after them and glance to Emmett. His smiles and his dimples show as he opens the door.

“Thanks”

The silence on the drive home is deafening. Bella and Edward don’t really say anything to each other, but their hands are together on the arm rest.

Every now and again, I feel Emmett’s eyes on me and when I look at him, he looks away sneakily. Thinking he slick.

We pull up to my house. Its pitch black and past 11:30.

I undo my seatbelt. “Guys, thank you for everything today” I plant a kiss on Bella’s head. “Please let me know when you wanna get out again. I know a few spots we could try”

Edward nods. “Yeah, no problem”

Bella sits up. “Aw, Jake. You’re so welcome! I’ll call you once I get in, okay?”

I nod. “Ight” I look to Emmett. “Well, thanks, for you know”

He smiles and there are those dimples again. “Yeah, thank you. I’ll be here sometime tomorrow for my baby” His fucking sincerity.

I feel the double meaning behind that, but I smile through it. “Alright, cool. Later, then”

He throws a wink in as I shut the door. I take my time walking. I glance back and wave before I hit the door. They all wave and he smiles.

I go in and shut the door. I go into my room and climb in my bed.

I exhale. “He likes me…”


	15. First Kiss

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

Edward’s fucking burning a hole in my face. I can feel him staring in the rear view mirror without even glancing up.

No. Just leave it alone. Just leave it be, man.

He fucking smiles. “I’m just surprised, is all”

Bella looks back at me. “Surprised about what?”

I look out the window. “I said leave it alone”

Edward smiles to himself and Bella looks at him, clearly out of the loop.

“Well?” She looks back at me.

I sigh. “I really don’t want to tell you, to be perfectly clear. Reason why I haven’t said anything”

Her face drops. “Why not?”

I roll my eyes. “What does it even matter?”

She turns back around flustered as all fucks. “Edward, can you just tell me?”

He glances back at me. “He sees Jacob as attractive”

“What the fuck, dude, I said no!”

She literally turns all the way around to look at me with that stupid smile on her face and fucking smirks. “Welp, seems like somebodies getting the hot’s for Jake”

I shake my head. I’m fucking hot. “It’s none of your business”

Edward looks at me. “Emmett”

“Okay, so I don’t know how many times this has to be brought up, but it is my business. I’m his friend, and quite truthfully, none of this would happened without me, so whatever”

Bitch? “So what, you proud? You want an award or something for that ass? You haven’t done shit but be annoying as fuck. Fuck out of here”

“Whatever” She’s done because I will fucking end her right here.

We pull up to her house and she unbuckles her seatbelt.

“I’ll see you in a few?” She turns to Edward.

He nods. “Yeah”

She leans in for a kiss and when she backs away, she slams the door and doesn’t say anything to me.

I could care less. I climb into the front seat and he takes off.

“She’s curious, you know that. You can cut the rude shit”

“No, she’s being fucking nosey. She doesn’t need to know everything and don’t tell me she does because she ran around and played matchmaker” I fire back.

“She’s not. She wants to stay involved. Think about it if it was your best friend” He says. “You would want to stay involved, too. And while she may not be the sole reason why you two are interacting, but she did play a role, and you need to respect that”

My best-friend… “Don’t try that. If Lincoln was still alive, it’d be different, but whatever” Lincoln. “Can’t believe you brought him up” He’s been dead for 32 years.

We reach the house.

“Look, I’m sorry. I was only making a point” He apologizes.

I shrug. “It’s whatever, your points been made” I get out and slam the door.

He’s two steps behind me. “Keep your cool, is all I’m going to say”

“Whatever that means” I walk inside and head straight for the stairs.

“Hey, Emmett!” Alice chimes from the Dining room.

“Hey” I mumble.

“Oh, Emmett, honey, could you come here for a second?” Esme calls.

I sigh and walk into the Dining room.

There’s a whole bunch of fabric and books and ribbons and shit all over the table. Esme and Alice are on either sides of it sewing.

Esme smiles. “How was your day?”

I shrug and lean against the wall. “It was fine”

“Where were you guys? You’ve been missing in action all day” Alice goes.

I shrug. “Out”

She cocks an eyebrow sharply. “I was just asking, no need for the sharp reply”

“And I was just saying” I can feel the argument brewing.

“Hey, you two. I don’t want any sibling rivalries in this house tonight” Esme whistles.

I roll my eyes. “Well, if you’d excuse me”

“Oh, wait!” Alice says. “Here”

I turn back.

“Tomorrow’s wardrobe. Wrinkle it and I’ll make everything from your socks to your hats in month old dish rags” She warns and hands me a designer shirt, short shorts, and socks.

“I’m so scared” I say dryly and go upstairs.

I can smell the perfume before I even turn into my side of the hall.

“Rose, what the hell? This isn’t the fucking MAC counter, Jesus. We've talked about this” There’s clothes folded neatly on the bed, shoes on the floor, and perfume in the air.

She spins out from the bathroom to her dresser in nothing but her silk pink robe. “Yeah, okay” She takes something from the dresser and goes back in the bathroom.

I toss the clothes Alice gave me on the couch and plop down on the bed. A brand new lavender dress and jewelry lies out beside me.

“Where you going?” I try not to sound so accusing, to be honest.

She applies her make-up in the mirror. “Out”

I slip into a glare. “Clearly. _Where_ are you going?”

She runs her hands through her hair and steps to her dresser again. “You know, I find it funny how every time I ask that, I’d get a basic response in return, so,” She pulls a lace thong and drops her robe. “There’s your basic answer”

I exhale. I already know where this is going. “Really, this again?” I don’t even feel anything towards her physically anymore, but still it stings a little.

She slips them on and poses in the mirror. “Oh, please, like you’re the one to talk” She throws me a look as she slides on her bra.

“Oh, am I?” I swear, this argument occurs every few weeks.

She saunters over to her dress and puts it on. “Mhm”

I stand up. “You know, I thought we were done with this” I don’t try to sound mad, I don’t because I stopped caring who she fucked with, but I guess she takes it that way because she purses her lips.

We’ve been through this before, it’s nothing new.

“Please” She sits at her mirror table. “I remember all the whores you fucked in and out of our vows, Emmett, let not do this” She applies some mascara. “Let’s just not”

Fuck it. “What’s your problem, anyway? You’ve been uber bitchy recently and it wasn’t because I missed your birthday”

She continues on and then sets down her mascara and turns to me. “My problem? Are you prepared for this conversation or should we wait till I get back?”

I toggle my eyebrows. “I’m not fucking repeating myself”

She turns back around. “I’m not happy anymore, haven’t been for months, years even” She says simply.

I raise an eyebrow. “What aren’t yo-”

“I’m not finished” She says calmly, eyes on me in the mirror.

I sigh.

“I’m not happy. There is no happiness in this marriage or this life. Just regret’s…” Her voice trails off.

This is new, but then it’s not. “Well…” She can be ruthless and cold at times, but she can also be sincere. I guess this is one of those times.

There’s a car driving up the driveway. It eases to a smooth stop out front.

“Is this him?” I step over to the window. It’s a navy blue BMW, the latest model. The dude steps out the car smoothly. He’s probably just waltzing into his early thirties.

She applies her red lipstick and fluffs her hair. “Yep” Her shields back on. She snatches her purse from the counter and does a once over in the mirror again.

“Well, maybe he’ll get lucky and figure out how to make you happy again” I shrug. “I don’t know, fuck some feelings into your heart”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re being immature” She sprays a mist of perfume and then struts out, her heels echoing down the hall and throughout the house.

“Whatever” I watch him greet her when she steps out. He’s definitely a young business heir or a spoiled rich brat with his slim popped collar and black suit. He’s got that blond tussled hair that’s cropped on the side and a stud in his ear.

He opens the door for her and everything. She fucking smiles at him. The same smile she used to give me.

Let him make you happy, then. I grab my black sleeveless hoodie and open the door to the window and launch myself out into the musky air.

I just run. I don’t have a set destination in mind. I avoid the little bit of cars and traffic lights on the roads. I don’t even pay attention to where I’m going until I look up at the red barn sitting on the field.

I would go here, huh…

There’s two heart beats. One to the west of the house that’s slower and then a more upbeat one to the east. I stroll over to the window facing the east of the field.

The window is cracked and the curtains drawn. And there’s Jacob lying on his back asleep.

He’s snores, which is just…funny as hell. His chest is rising and falling at the intake of his breath. He’s shirtless, but there’s a sheet covering his lower body and half his chest. His hand is curled into a fist by his mouth and his other arm is hanging off the bed.

Hm. I glance around again. I wonder…

I test the window and ease it up some more gently and climb through. The fucked up thing is that it’s right over his bed and so to get inside is to climb over him. I hold myself up and jump over him and touch down without so much as a thud.

I cross my arms and lean against his door.

He’s adorable and I hate that the word that comes to mind, but fuck it. He’s adorable as fuck in his sleep. In the day time, too, but fuck it, if the night doesn’t do him justice.

The moonlight is shadowing his face and body with a luminous glow and damn.

I wonder what he’s dreaming about.

“Jacob…” I whisper.

He stirs so slightly, but doesn’t wake.

A teasing smile rise on my face.

“Jakey-wakey…”

He inhales and shifts until he’s lying on his side and facing me. His eyes flutter open and close.

I sigh and grin. Thought he saw me.

And like he heard my thoughts, his eyes blink open and focus on the darkness and unusual lighting of the room and he wakes up.

“What the fuck?” He sits up.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Jake, chill, it’s me” I step into the light and throw off my hood. “It’s me” His room explodes in rainbows.

His heart races as he takes me in. “Emmett, what the hell?” He rubs at his face.

I nod. “Yeah, sorry, I scared you”

He relaxes a bit and looks at the clock. “What are you doing here?”

I lean back against the wall. “I don’t know. Just couldn’t stay home” I shrug.

He looks at me and crosses his legs on the bed. His hands flop down to his lap. “Oh” His eye stray to the still ajar window and then to me.

Not to feel like I’m pushing the envelope, which I totally am, but…“What were you dreaming about, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He looks at me innocently and shrugs. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable” He lulls his head to the side and damn, his bed hair is amazing.

I shrug. “You won’t, I promise”

He looks at me for a long while before his raises his eyebrows, and drops his head with a sigh. “Sex…” He says flatly. “With you” He looks up at me. “And a date and laughs and food, but yeah” He shrugs.

“Well…” I lick at the corners of my mouth. “That doesn’t make me uncomfortable at all”

He grins in retaliation and looks up at me.

I step to his bed. “Mind if I…”

“Yeah, sure” He scoots back.

I relax against the wall beneath his window. His room isn’t big enough for me and him, but it’s cozy in a sense. It doesn’t smell or anything.

He’s silent for a long while and I almost think he’s gone back to sleep, but he looks at his hands in the moon light.

“Why are you…?” He doesn’t look at me. “Why are you doing this…with me? It just…a week ago, we weren’t even able to stand in the same room, let alone talk, and here,” He blinks those brown eyes. “, now, you’re in my bed…”

I study his face for anything that can help. “I guess…things and people change over time” I say. “I mean, to be honest, I don’t mind change, especially this, at all. It’s taking some getting used to, but I like it. I like this. It’s cool”

He gazes at me with his long eyelashes and his eyes drop past me.

“And I’m sorry if…” What’s the words? “You’ve been thrown around in a loop. It’s strange to me, too, but I like how this is going”

He blushes and meets my eyes again. “Me too”

I smile and he scoffs and drops his head.

“What?”

He shakes his head. “Dude, you have serious dimples”

I poke out my lips. “Hey, I do not”

He grins. “You do so and you know it”

I smirk and bite my lip.

I can feel the heat radiating off his body in waves. It feels good. The first time heat has ever felt good in all my years.

I look at him to see him staring back at me. We both smile.

I lick at my lips. I’ve wondered on and off about this, but fuck it. “Can I…” I don’t know where the fuck this comes from. “Can I kiss you?”

He grows serious quick. His mouth hangs open in shock and vulnerability. His breathing picks ups.

I go for it. “Just relax…” I’m telling him my own advice. My heart is racing, too.

He nods ever so slightly and I ease in slowly and place my lips against his.

It’s…fuck, I have no words for it. It feels overwhelming and I break away from him.

My eyes meet his. His eyes are blown and his breath is fanning against my face.

This time, when I place my lips against his, he meets me. His hand curls onto my shoulder and into my hair. It starts out as pecks and then he phases it to the next step with me chasing right behind him.

I turn over until I’m hovering directly above him and press him into the mattress. His hands slide over my arms and my neck; trails of pure lave.

We’re shifting closer. I can feel his chest grazing mine. The sheets are wrapping around my waist as he legs gap open for me to lie in between.

He open his mouth and for a second, I think he’s about to say something. But then his tongue is on my bottom lip and I take the invitation.

Or tongues clash, a heated coal against ice. I explore his mouth, every inch he gives me access to. Dominance is not even a question.

I’m hard as fuck and I’ve never been turned on by kissing. I feel his bulge against me underneath the sheet. He grinds against me and fuck! A grunt tumbles from my mouth as he shudders. That fucking feels amazing!

I kiss down to his chin and onto his neck. His fingers tighten on my curls as he moans silently. I lick down his collarbone and I felt he blood pulsing beneath my tongue.

Everything starts to zone out until I can only hear his heartbeat.

No! I shoot back from him and hit the wall with a thud.

He sits up and stares at me bewildered and shocked. “Wha…Emmett?”

I’m at a loss for words. “I-”

I hear the shifting of a mattress, the click of a light bulb, and moments later, there’s wheels rolling towards the door.

“Jacob? You alright?”

His eyes flash to the door. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just knocked something to the floor!” He’s sitting up like he’ll make a break for the door if his father tried to open it.

His father hesitates for all of seven minutes before he accepts the lie. “Alright. Night, son”

He flops back to the mattress with a hand to his head. “Night”

The wheels roll away and then there’s the squeak of the mattress again and it’s silent.

He peeks at me through his fingers. He’s trying his best to hide his blushing smile from me.

I grin slyly.

He slides his fingers down his cheeks. “So we just…” He can’t wrap his head around it.

“We did, didn’t we…?” It’s hitting me in slow waves.

He nods slowly and just stares at me with those chocolate eyes that twinkle.

“I’ve never kissed a guy” I confess.

“Yeah…” His breathes. “Me either…” His face starts to change.

“But…” I catch him before the moment slips away. “I liked it, though. Like, a lot. Like, really liked it”

His smiles and his dimples rise. “Of course you did. You started it” He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “Me, too”

I smile and look at the clock just to stop _staring_ at him. “So…isn’t about time you get some shut eye? Even a poodle like you should be in bed by 11:30”

He rolls his eyes promptly and glances at the clock reluctantly. “It’s only 12:17. This poodle can go for another few hours, thank you”

I raise an eyebrow. “Yeah, yeah. C’mon, Kibbles. Let’s go” I rise from his bed.

He exhales and kicks the sheet away. “Fine” He looks like a little kid sent to his room with no dinner. It’s adorable.

He watches the moon outside the window for a few seconds. His hand absentmindedly strokes his chest as he lies out on his back.

I chew on my lip to keep from looking at him fully.

He turns over and looks directly at me.

I smile. “Go to sleep” I keep my voice low.

He smiles and his eyes flutter like their closing, but they don’t. His smile fades after a while.

“What’s wrong?”

He chews on his lip. “Will you stay with me...you don’t have to, I just…” He turns back over on his back. “I don’t want _this_ to feel like a dream that never happened” He takes one look at me and covers his face with his hands. “I know, it’s stupid. You don’t have to”

I sigh and lick at my inner cheek. “Well…” I slide onto the bed and poke his side and lay right beside him. “I’ll be here to remind you it was real”

He looks at me and smiles gently. I can see the sleep in his eyes, now. He closes them.

I relax against the wall. Jesus, this feels so right. Lying beside him feels like it’s supposed to be this way. He fits perfectly.

He turns into me and buries his face against my chest.

I can’t stop grinning. This feels really good.

A breeze sifts through the cracked window. I take the discarded sheet and place it over him.

I watch him for a moment. Watch the rise and fall of his chest, the droopiness of his lips, and the length of his eyelashes in the moonlight.

He’s beautiful.


	16. Discovering

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

_I stand alone at a cross road. Before me is a sign with two arrows pointing to the west and the east. Past the sign is nothing._

_I feel myself swaying back and forth in anticipation._

_I look around._

_To the west is a sunny, blue skied beach. The Sun shines warmly as the blue wave’s crash against the shore. I can smell the salt water from here. It’s inviting._

_I look to the east. There’s snow falling delicately onto a meadow filled with violets and carnations. Everything is white and blanketed._

_I can see the breeze sift through the snow heavy trees before I feel it. I expect the incoming frigid air to chill me to the bone, but it doesn’t. Instead, there’s another sense of invitation, but it’s cooler._

_I’m confused. I can feel the warmth of the beach trail up my side, the Sun shines in my eyes. then there’s another cool breeze and I want nothing more but to embrace it._

_Then all it once, everything drops to silence. But there’s something. Something rolling over the snow and crashing over the waves._

_“Jake!”_

I open my eyes.

What _was_ that…?

A yawn rips through my throat. I stretch long and hard and sit up into the sunlight shimmering into the room.

I’m sweating like shit. Another yawn.

Wait…

The tingling chill is no longer here.

I glance around my room. Emmett is clearly not here.

Was it just a dream? I look around for any trace, any sign that he was truly here last night.

There’s nothing. No smells, nothing’s moved out of place. No trace.

I inhale deeply and exhale hard. Whatever.

I stretch and stand to my feet. I scratch my balls and pull the wedge out of my ass and trudge into the bathroom to use the toilet. I finish up, brush my teeth and run a hand through my hair in the mirror as it fogs up.

“Pull it together, weirdo” I smack my cheek once and then climb into the shower. The water beats down on my back with relentless heat. I relish in it.

I step out after a good five minutes, grab my towel on the towel rack and dry off my face. I dry my hair and walk out.

There’s no point of wrapping the towel around me. It’s nothing Dad hasn’t seen before these days, so…

I dry my body off quickly. The sunlight continues to set the room on fire. I rummage through the drawers for another pair of underwear. There’s a dark green pair decorated with fireflies that look like a cool night. I hop into them and toss the towel blindly to the bin behind me.

“So I’m guessing you don’t fold…”

I whirl around so fast, I almost lose my balance.

And there he is sitting on the edge of the bed with a sly ass smile that could fuck over anybody. The light dances off his sleeveless hoodie and bare arms and face.

I don’t know what to feel. “Hey” It just tumbles out.

His smile broadens and there are those great, pearly whites. “Hey, yourself” His golden eyes are bright and deep.

I catch my breath. “You left” I know I sound like a baby, but it just…

He looks down at the palm of his hands. “I know…” His smile disappears. “I’m sorry” He looks back to me. “I went to hunt. Didn’t think you be up by now” He looks down at the towel at his lap, and with a quick flick of his wrist, it’s folded neatly in a triangle.

“Ah…” I cross my arms. “Because you were going to be in heavy shit whenever I saw you again”

He grins. “I bet” His eyes linger on me for a second and then he’s looking away. Anywhere but me. “So…last night…”

It takes me a moment to tell he’s nervous. You can never be too sure. “Yeah… _that…_ ”

He looks up. “C’mon, it wasn’t that bad” His dimples are showing.

I laugh. “No, no. It was good. It was…shit, it was…” What’s the word?

He raises an eyebrow like he agrees with me. His face is clear and serious with just a hint of a smirk.

I sit next to him on the bed. He pushes the towel aside and slides over for me.

“Honestly, it’s not how I thought last night would go” He says. “I just… I don’t know. It was very surprising” He looks at me carefully. “I surprised myself, but I loved it”

My heart wants to kill me, I know it does. I feel a blush coming on. “I loved it more, trust me”

He grins and relaxes into the bed. His hand moves from his lap until it’s resting on the top of my knee. “Well, would you let me kiss you again?”

I swear my heart literally stops.

He takes my hesitation as a go and moves closer to me. His hand sneaks past my knee and onto my waist. He’s a breath away from me, now, so close, I can feel the coolness of his skin on mine.

“Can I?” He whispers seductively.

I fucking lose it.

I grab him and he slides between my thighs and our lips collide. His hands are on my waist and mine are in his hair and on his cheek and – God!

A moan rolls off my tongue and into his waiting mouth. I lock my legs around his body and pull him as close as I can. I need more.

One of his hands is running up my chest and around to my back. The other is squeezing my waist slightly. I drag his hoodie off him and toss it.

His hard-on is digging into my thigh in the best way. I try and rub my own against him, but his hand is holding me down to the bed. It’s driving me mad!

I inhale sharply and he pulls back from me just as quick.

I look from his eyes and lips, confused as hell. “What?” I can’t even catch my breath.

“Your father’s coming” He says huskily. That right there has my dick leaking.

“Jake! You up?” Dad calls from the Living Room.

I look to the door as Emmett gives me a dirty grin. “Hmm!” That was a slutty moan.

He licks his freezing tongue along my neck and jawline. My mouth falls open in awe.

"Jake?"

“Y-yeah, Dad?” I muster. I’m fucking shivering.

“Good, you’re up. Was starting to worry” His wheels are squeaking down the hall and Emmett is fucking undoing me with his tongue. “Mind opening the door?”

I look up at Emmett in a daze. He cocks an eyebrow.

“Uh…”

His eyes glaze over as he leans into my ear. “Want me to leave…?” Jesus, please stop with the voice!

“No…” I whimper as his hand trails down my thigh. “Mm mmm…”

“Then…” He runs his tongue over the outline of my ear shell. “Get…him…to…” His fingers are playing with the hem of my briefs.

My eyes flutter close. “He won’t…go…” I dig my nails into his scalp and neck.

“Hm…” His tongue drags down my neck, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake. “Well…”

“Jake, C’mon. I’ll only be a few minutes and you can go right back to bed” I can hear the annoyance in his voice.

My eyesight is giving in. Emmett’s sucking down on my neck hungrily. I try my best to hold the moan building in my throat.

“Emmett…please…” Is that my freaking voice?

He sucks really hard one last time that has me arching into him and then he glides back on his knees. He fucking has the nerve to smile.

“Jacob, I’m serious”

Emmett grins and his eyes trail down my body to the bulging dick in my briefs.

His eyes narrow out of curiosity and he looks back up to me.  

I buck towards him. All it takes is his gaze. Jesus.

He flashes a shitty smile. “Later, then…” He backs away and with one last glance, climbs through the window without a sound.

I fall back onto the mattress with a thud.

I just…I can’t.

“Jacob, I’m serious. Open the door”

I roll my eyes and with a hand on my face, stand and open the door.

He sits there patiently, those bronze eyes locked on me.

“Hey” I drag out. I rub my eyes. I try my best to hide my boner.

He inhales. “Is there somebody else in there with you? It smells funny?” He cranes his neck behind me.

I slide to the side. “Nope, just me”

He nods and shrugs. “Okay. Well, just reminding you that your sisters are flying in late tonight, early morning. I was wondering if you can grab them from the airport?”

Completely slipped my mind that Becca and Rach are coming. “Yeah, sure”

“I’ll be here, so I’ll go with you. Also,” He hands me some clothes that were folded on his lap. “Sam dropped these off while you were out, says it for the wedding”

I skim over the white button down and khaki shorts. Em was not kidding. She really wants us to stay cool.

“Okay, cool”

He nods and sits there for a moment. He’s not looking me in the eyes anymore and I know why.

“Hey…you’re not upset about…you know, me and Paul, right?” Not that I’m afraid to talk to him about it, but it’s just weird. “Because if you are, I’d really wish you’d tell me so we can talk about it”

He inhales like I just jostled him awake and makes eye contact. “Jacob, I’m not upset. I just…I wished I wasn’t the last to find out about it” He means it. “I mean, I’m your father. Not that I’d be the first to know, but I’d figure I’d be somewhere in the first five”

I sigh and sit on the edge of the dirty hamper. “I’m sorry, I…I was going to tell you eventually, it’s just…honestly, I couldn’t think of a way and I’ve been so busy with all this other stuff, the wedding and whatnot…”

He reaches out and places his hand on my thigh. “Jacob, listen to me. You are my son. You can always come and talk to me with whatever you have to say and I will listen” His eyes are assuring. “You understand me? Don’t ever feel like you have to figure out how to tell me something. Just say it to me and we’ll talk it out, okay?”

I nod. “Yeah…okay”

He pats my thigh with a sigh. “Besides, I’m happy for you. You finding someone to spend the rest of your life with makes my heart glad”

I smile. “Aw, thanks, Dad”

“Yeah…” He smiles. “Maybe I’m just a tad disappointed that I won’t be having any grandchildren from my only son, but I’m sure you two can…you know…” He toggles his eyebrows.

It hits me way too fast on what he’s saying. “Okay, Dad, no” I stand up and walk into the Living Room.

He trails after me. “No, listen. I’m just saying, if you guys ever wanted to have kids, there’s insemination, the-”

“Alright, Dad!” I laugh it off. “This conversation is over”

He shrugs. “Alright, say no more” He smiles at me and then it doesn’t go away.

I sigh. “Dad…don’t get all teary-eyed on me”

He chuckles and blinks away the tears. “Nah, you know, I’m just very proud of you. Proud of the man you’re becoming”

Aw, c’mon. “Dad…”

He raises his hands. “Yeah, yeah, well. I’m proud. Can’t say it enough,” He pauses. “And I know your Mom is proud of you, too”

That strikes home. Mom was my heart. “I know…”

He sits there for a little longer just basking in his words and then he’s rubbing his hands together. “Well, let me get out of your way. The Council wants me to attend a meeting with a visiting tribe today. Sue’s on her way now, should be here an-”

_Beep, Beep!_

He laughs lightly. “Speak of an Angel”

I open the door for him. “Have fun”

He wheels on out. “Your sarcasm is much appreciated!”

Sue waves as she gets out the car. I wave on back as she helps him in and shut the door.

I down a bowl of cereal and get dressed. It’s cool out, despite the Sun. I slip on my joggers and a T-shirt and head out.

I walk right into the woods and a smile crosses my face.

He’s alright with Paul and I being together. Am I shocked? Meh, somewhat. I didn’t think he’d be so supportive.

I’m lying. I didn’t want to think he would, but I was wrong.

He has a good heart.

I look up to the sky, to the sun lit blue expanse of space.

“I love you, Dad…” I chew on my lip. “And I know that you can’t hear me, but…you, too, Mom” I say with a smile.

**Emmett’s P.O.V.**

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

I can’t even wrap my head around what just happened! I just can’t! My body feels like a fucking live wire.

We kissed. I kissed him and he kissed me back. Me and Jake kissed.

I haven’t stop grinning like the fucking Mad Hatter since I left his room.

We fucking kissed!

I try to walk up the driveway like a sane guy, but I can’t. I just feel so pumped.

Then there’s Edward standing at the bottom of the steps, only then does my smile waver.

“Don’t you say a word” I point out.

He raises his hands in defense. “Wasn’t going to” There’s that shitty grin.

Before I say another word, Carlisle’s strolling out of the open Garage with his black suitcase and white coat in toe.

“You two aren’t feuding again, are you?” He asks with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

I shake my head. “Not at all” I toss an arm around Edward’s neck just for the hell of it. “We’re good”

He chuckles. “Good” He heads on up the stairs and shuts the door behind him.

“I’m listening” Edward says, turning to me.

I roll my eyes. “C’mon” Don’t want anybody to overhear. I take off into the opposite direction of the house. I run a few miles before I stop at the edge of a cliff that overlooks a valley. Edward strolls right beside me.

“So you two kissed?” He says, hands in his pocket. He leans against one of the small boulders scattered about.

“Dude, I can’t even express to you how good it made me feel, like, my mind’s still recovering from that shit” I scrub my face with my hands. “Like, I just…can’t even tell you…”

“Hm…” He murmurs. “That’s good, man, I’m proud of you for taking this step”

I look at him through my fingers. “Fuck off. You and Bella have been playing Matchmaker the entire time”

“Emmett, c’mon. I’m serious” He says. “This is a big step in you and Jake’s relationship. Why wouldn’t I be proud?”

He nods. “You’re welcome”

I drop my hands. “Yeah…thanks…” I plop down in the grass with my legs dangling over the edge. The Sun isn’t shining as bright anymore. The clouds are rolling in now. It looks like the sky switched places with the ocean. The clouds look like waves. The Sun streams through them, piercing light here and there as the day goes by.

It’s peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

“I guess what I really want to know was how much of those interactions were intentional and required any prior thought?”

I look back at him and shrug. “I don’t know, man. I mean, honestly, last night, I had no intention of doing anything with him, serious shit”

“So why’d you go over there?”

“Just to check on him, that’s all. That was my only reason and then it just happened” Still can’t even process it.

He nods and readjust his stance against the boulder. “Alright, and what about today?”

“I…” Gotta be honest with myself. “To tell you the truth, I wanted to. I had to and it’s so fucking weird, but I felt like I needed to feel it again” He’s staring at me with a blank expression. “I don’t know why I feel like this”

He looks off. “It’s interesting, to say the least”

“It’s fucking weird, that’s what it is” One minute I can’t stand him, then the next I’m fucking losing it over a kiss.

“I guess what I’m really trying to say is…” He begins. “And we both know you care for him, but is there any true relationship between you two?”

I start to speak but hesitate. Is there?

“And I know how the imprint works, but besides the soul tie holding you two together, is there anything?”

“I…” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “No, not really”

He mulls it over. “Well, find out”

I turn around to him. “How do you suppose I do that?”

He sighs. “Perhaps the next time you see him, which will more than likely be this evening, pay attention to the height of your emotions and thoughts. You’re not necessarily asking him anything, but more being observant of how he makes you feel”

“Okay…that’s a start, I guess” I sit idly and let his words wash over me. Even as they do, doubt pours in. “But…”

“What if you don’t?” He finishes my thought.

I inhale. “Yeah, like…what if we get into this thing and there’s nothing but sexual tension and lust? How do you even work from there?”

He glances around the Valley. “That won’t be the case. You both are men, so of course they’ll be tension, but it won’t dominate the relationship” His eyes fall back to mine. “The way imprints work is that when a Shifter finds their mate, there’s an instant attraction, love. No matter who they were involved with before they met their mate. Take you and Rosalie…”

I can tell by his hesitation that my expression has slipped into a glare.

“Eh, your former feelings for her, respectively, will no longer exists as your Jake’s imprint. You won’t love her as you once did when you were turned, you two won’t have that bond anymore, and I’m not saying that this is the reason why outside of your own marital problems, but it just shows that things will work out”

“Hmph…” I say. “You lost me at Rosalie”

“It’s a selfish act, quite truthfully” He steps over and reaches out his hand. “Alas, the Quileute believe its fate”

I take his hand and stand to my feet. “Well, fate sure does have a way with fucking me over”

He cracks a smile. “Seriously”

We walk back to the house. He talks about He and Bella’s insecurities and problems, but I only half listen. My primary attention is focused on everything he’s just said.

I didn’t really notice how Jake and I didn’t really have anything besides tension. One kiss and I want to be kissing him for the rest of my life. It just seems like there should be something more, there. Something to fill in the blanks.

Edward grows quiet after a mere minute and I look at him. “What happened?

He shakes his head. “Nothing, we can talk later. I know where your head is at the moment”

I shrug. “My bad…”

We walk in silence the rest of the way home. The Sun’s to the west, now. The house is cast in that cross between noon and sunset and it’s pretty cool…

…but of course, that coolness is shattered by five feet pixie impatiently blocking the front door like a bouncer.

Edward sighs as he passes into the house. “Just let it go, Alice…” He says. “No need for confrontation”

“You shut it. I need to get to the root of this” She hisses behind her.

He spins around with his hands uplifted like ‘she’s all yours’.

Alice’s eyes lock on me.

I pass her by. “What is it, Alice?”

She shuts the door behind me and is in front of me in 1/16th of a second. “What did you do? Why can’t I see you anymore? That’s all I want to know, I can’t focus without knowing where you went”

I relax into a shrug. “I dunno. Maybe you’re just getting too frazzled to concentrate on me”

Her eyes narrow into slits. “This is no joke, Emmett. I’m being completely serious, more than I’ve ever been”

I roll my eyes and head to the steps. “And your point?”

She begins to pace around me. “My point is that I can’t see you and I don’t know why. No matter how hard I try to induce my visions, no matter what I do, I can’t see you. It’s like you just…vanished off my radius!” She pauses in step as if something slowed her down. “And I just don’t understand why…” She mumbles, her eyes focused on nothing in particular.

I walk into the Living Room. “In all seriousness, maybe it’s just you. Ed can hear me just fine” I flop down on the couch.

She slips her hands on her hips and continues to pace. “That’s just it. Why can he and not me?”

“Frustrating?” I flip through a few channels.

She sighs and sits next to me. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I’m so used to seeing all of us and for you to just abruptly stop, it’s driving me nuts” She says, a hand to her head.

I hear her, but I’m not truly listening. There’s a wolf documentary on the Discovery channel. There’s a pack of them rolling deep as shit in the snow. They’re all different colors and sizes.

“I wonder if Jake’s ever seen this…” I chew on the inside of my lip.

The video shows how the wolves hunt and split up their prey amongst themselves. “I mean, it’s a big difference from what we do, but meh. Nothing special”

I forget Alice is there until she’s dead silent, weird as that sounds. She’s forever talking.

I look at her looking at me. “What?”

Her eyes are that right amount of confused like she’s just found out the wildest shit in her life. “Jake…as in Jacob Black?”

Huh? “What?”

“You just said something about Jake…” She inclines her head to the side in thought. “You even smiled about it…”

I’m confused as fuck. “What? Alice, what’re you-” Wait. Fuck, what? Did I say that shit out loud?

She hops up and starts pacing again. “It makes sense. It makes complete sense! Why didn’t I think of it before? The wolves, Jake, I can’t see any of them!”

“Wait, hold on…”

She rambles on. “Which explains it, but…” She slows down and gradually pieces something together that has my heart racing. “Since when do you and the wolves hang out?”

I shrug. “We don’t” Play this shit cool, Emmett. What the fuck did I just do?

She pauses and makes a face. “Then…well, that’s weird because I remember the other day when you came home and smelled like a puppy farm. I didn’t think too much of it, but now…”

Shit. I hop up. “I’m gonna go”

“Wait, what?” She asks. “Where’re you going?”

“Don’t worry about it, Alice” I say and go downstairs.

“But-”

I’m already out the door before she can ask more questions.

What the fuck did I just do?

**Jacob’s P.O.V.**

I near the ending of the path leading to Sam’s house. I see Seth and Jared sitting on the porch side by side talking. A bit too close for normal, with their shoulder’s touching. With nobody else around. That’s…odd.

I lean against one of the trees and listen.

Seth stares at the ground with barely any lick of expression on his face.

“I’m trying, Seth, really. You gotta believe me…” Jared says. “I don’t- I don’t know what else you want me to say…”

Seth sighs and his eyes close. “I just…I just want to know that…” He takes a breath and looks away.

“That I love you…” Jared finishes. He leans closer and softly turns Seth’s face back to him. “You know I do…” He looks like he’s about to lean in for a kiss.

“Do you really?” Seth says dryly.

Jared exhales and looks him in his eyes before he covers his face with his hands. “What the fuck, you know I do?”

Seth exhales all flustered. “Then why can’t you give me a solid answer?”

Jared drops his head and doesn’t say anything else.

Seth leans on the porch railing and looks at him. “Since you can’t, we don’t have anything to talk about. I’m done”

“For the love of God,” Jared sits up. “What do you want from me? I’ve been trying my ass off to prove that this, _us_ , can work out, that I have feelings for you, but you keep pushing me away! I’ve been trying and you keep pushing me away”

Seth clenches his jaw. “It’s either you do or you don’t and I just…I can’t deal with that answer hanging up in the air like a fucking flyer you forget to take down, Jared. I can’t!”

“I…” Jared sighs and rubs his forehead. “I do love you…”

Seth nods and his face sets in stone. That didn’t even sound like it was true or even official.

Jared looks at him for a long while. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t know what you want from me anymore…”

“That was it…” Seth says, and I can tell that it’s hurting him on the inside. “But…whatever. Fuck it. I’m over it”

Shit. I walk out of the dark and Seth’s eyes flicker to me instantly in alarm.

He inhales sharply. “Jake!”

“What’re you…” Jared looks at me. “Shit, hey, Jake!”

I cross my arms. “Mhm…”

Seth avoids my eyes. Jared rubs his hands on his shorts nervously before hopping up. “Well…” He turns to Seth. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

Seth doesn’t look at him until Jared stoops down to his eye level. “Fucking okay!”

Jared stands and glances at me before he walks away.

I sit on the space next to him. I look at him and see that he’s trying his best not to look at me.

“So…”

He exhales irritably. “We were together, okay” He looks at me.

I don’t respond to his aggravation. I cross my legs. “Yeah…kinda figured that out at the Cliffs”

He exhales. “Yeah…”

“So what happened?”

His eyebrows furrow together. “He…” He turns to me. “I mean, we’ve known each other our whole lives and I’ve always kinda had this thing for him. Not really a crush, just…something,” He twiddles his fingers. “And I don’t know, he showed an interest in me and stayed over a few nights and we started talking for a while, and it was great”

He looks up to me now with heartbroken eyes. “And then…things changed. I don’t know what happened. He stopped saying he loved me and…” He chews on his lip. “I just didn’t know how to handle it” His eyes drop again. “Still don’t” He mumbles.

Well, damn. “How long is a while?”

He cradles his knees and drops his head. “Four months”

“Shit”

He sighs. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to be judged by anybody, not even you and I know you wouldn’t, it’s just…” He swallows. “I just didn’t want to get hurt anymore”

I wrap my arms around him on instinct. “Hey. You know I wouldn’t hurt you”

He inhales shakily. “I know, but-”

“No, no buts. I’ll always be here for you. I would never hurt you and I won’t let anybody else hurt you, either” He settles down. “I love you, Seth. You’re the annoying ass little brother I’ve always had”

He smirks quietly. “Hm…”

I sigh. “I got your back, just like you have mine”

He relaxes into my hold and lays his head on my shoulder.

“Thanks, Jake…” He says.

I exhale. “No problem, man…”

“Hm…hm…” He murmurs.

A breeze sifts through the trees and stirs up dirt and fallen leaves on the ground. It’s really quiet.

“So…where is everybod-”

He snores.

I sigh. “Of course” He’s like a little lap dog that you just have to love no matter what. I rise and cradle him in my arms. I carry him inside and set him on the couch. He buries his face into the pillows.

Gotta love him.

“What’s wrong with him?” Paul asks, walking in behind me.

I glance at him and shrug. “Nothing, just worked himself up” I sit on the arm of the couch.

“Oh” He goes into the Kitchen and pours himself a glass of juice. He looks like he’s just hopped right out of a magazine by the way he’s leaning on the countertop. Glass in hand, hair messy and on point. Fuck.

“So I was thinking…” He starts. “You wanna do something?”

I piques my interest. “Like…?”

He flashes a grin.  “I dunno. My Dad ran upstate to the Farmer’s Market earlier and won’t be back till later…” He licks at his lips. “Did you wanna come over?”

I cross my arms. That has so much more potential than he’s letting on. “Come over? That’s a bit daring for you, isn’t it?” Will hasn’t let us step foot in his house since we were 11 when we left the door open and a deer ravaged the place. Totally wasn’t our fault, but somebody had to get their ass kicked.

He cocks his head. “Stop. You coming or what?”

I roll my eyes and stand to my feet. I walk up on him. “Or what?”

He sets down the drink and looks at my lips. He grins. “You’re treading thin ice, man”

I smile. “You won’t break it, though…”

His eyes flash and that’s all I need to see. “Yeah, okay”

We walk over to his house rather quickly and as soon as the door shuts behind us, he’s on me.

Our lips gravitate towards each other’s. His hands are feeling their way down my waist and onto my ass and squeezing. He holds me against the wall with his body and my legs straddle his waist.

He sits me on the table in the Living Room and a picture frame falls and breaks.

“…Mmf…He’s going to kill you…” I mumble over his tongue.

“Mm don’t care” He replies breathlessly.

We’re skin to skin and I can’t help but pull him closer. I _need_ him closer.

And then suddenly he pulls away from and when I follow him, he pushes me back.

I catch my breath. “What?”

He looks at me deeply and then glances to my shorts. “I wanna try something…” He bites his lips.

Curiosity wins me over. “Try…?”

He bites his bottom lip and his hand runs over the raging boner in my shorts. “This”

Oh…oh…

“Upstairs” I say eagerly.

He nods and kisses me slower as we make our way up to his room.

We fall back on his mattress. We slow down and now our kisses are calmer, slower, more passionate.

He moves down my face and his tongue licks long laps on my neck.

“Ah…” I moan into his ear. “Paul…”

I feel his teeth against my skin as he smirks. He hikes my shirt up and plants butterfly kisses down my chest, pausing to nibble at my nipples. I lose the shirt fast as hell and watch him with my lips between my teeth.

He flattens his tongue and rides slowly over each ab, kneading the space in between. Fuck. He reaches my shorts and then looks up to me, eyes blown and dark.

He arches an eyebrow and undoes the button and zipper with his eyes focused on mine.

He tugs them down, dragging my briefs off with them.

I watch my dick spring up and catch him in the face.

He smirks and marvels. “Didn’t know you packed this much”

I laugh out loud. “You are such a-”

He swallows my head in one mouthful and has me arching off the bed. “Oh fuck!

He bobs slowly, adjusting as he takes me in.

I bite his pillow. My hands fists his sheets, clinging for some type of hold on life.

And then the fucker goes _all_ the way down and back up with a neck roll. I jerk up into his mouth and he gags slightly and swallows around me.

All types of moans are tumbling out of my mouth. Shit!

­He pauses to lick up and down my length. I slide my fingers through his hair and direct him back. He goes without a word.

He quickens his pace and my head falls back against the pillow, my eyes closed and my mouth wide open. He adds his hand to jerk me off in time with his mouth and me bucking.

“Pauulll….fuck…ah”

He pulls off his mouth with his hand still pumping. “Close?” He whispers huskily.

“Yeah…” The pressure is building, a fucking dam begging to break.

He grins and slows down dangerously slow.

“Pa…pau…u…mmm” I’m breathless.

He grins and climbs back up to me. His hand doesn’t stop.

He kisses me and makes his way to my ear. “Do it…” He whispers. “Cum for me” His hand grip tightens and he speeds up.

“Fuck” I feel it coming. I pull him closer and wrap my legs around him and my lips find his roug roughly. He jerks me fast and harder until I’m fucking flying.

“Mmf!” I arch up into him as I shoot in his hand and all over our stomachs.

My heart is pounding as I come down. Fuck! I try and catch my breath and wipe the sweat from my face.

He watches me in a deep gaze. I drag him into me and kiss him slow enough to breathe between kisses.

He reels back from me, his hands positioned on either side of me. I lean up and kiss him and he backs away teasingly.

I grin and flip him over. The cum rolls down my chest and onto his bed and thighs. He tries to sit up, but I push him back down.

“My turn”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm thinking about posting two chapters next week as a Christmas gift. What do you guys think?


	17. Ties

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

Edward drops his book in his lap. "Emmett, relax" He says for the third time.

I exhale. "Man, shut up. I'm good"

"Says the one who's been stressing all over the house" He sighs and resumes reading.

I exhale.

"Give it time, man" He says, turning a crisp page.

I turn to him. "Dude, I've given it time. I haven't seen him since this morning, it's almost 10:30"

He flips a page casually. "Now you're just being theatrical. Just go, then"

I sigh. "I want too, but…I don't wanna feel like I'm smothering him"

He looks up to me and closes the book. "You're a broken record. Don't tell me one thing and then the oppose the next second. If you want to go so bad, just go over there" He shrugs. "When Bella and I first met, you remember how nervous I was, but I got over it as time passed"

"I'm sure that you didn't get over it within hours, now, c'mon now"

He exhales. "The point being, if you're so anxious to talk to him, then just go do it"

I lay my head back on the couch. "I don't even know if he's home yet"

"Bella called him a few minutes ago. His sisters into town for Sam's wedding and he picked them up. He should be back now" He glances up at the clock. "That was two hours ago"

I close my eyes. "So…should I go or not?"

"I'm not answering that" 

I groan and just leave. Maybe we're starting to get to know each other physically, but maybe there's something else for him entirely. What if he feels something for me, something stronger than kisses and smiles?

I just have to know. Every time I see him, he's just so love-struck. The way he looks at me, the way his heart drums whenever I'm around…

I know I feel the same way, somewhere buried inside me. Maybe I'm too much of an Alpha male to admit it. Possibly afraid of what the truth is.

I come to a stroll across the field of his backyard. The grass is slick with dew.

I remember the time we all played football in the rain, Carlisle, Jaz and Ed. To this day, they continue to talk about my 30 mile per second slide across the grass.

I can hear his voice as clear as if he's right next to me. He's home with three others. The house is all lit up. "But that's what you always say, though" He goes. "Wall St. is basically Gotham City"

I walk up to his window and peer inside, but his room is dark. His door is open and there's light shining in from the Living Room.

He laughs his warmth filling laugh that vibrates through the walls and intertwines with two others and a chuckle. His sisters and father, maybe.

"Like honestly, it's ridiculous" A girl says walking past his door. "But I tried, you know me, never the type to let anything like that slide."

"Yeah, yeah" Jake says, walking into his room. He flicks the light on to illuminate the ragged black shorts sagging off his waist and black tank top that hugs his body uber tight.

A part of my brain wants to short circuit.

"Jesus, Jake, I thought we talked about getting you a bigger bed and repainting this mess?" Another girl walks in behind him. She's really pretty. Her hair is the same jet black as Jake's and pulled into a long ponytail. She wears a green plaid shirt and slim jeans rolled up over her russet skin. She plops down on the bed and Jake sits in a chair I never noticed. "What was wrong with the plan?"

He shrugs. "I mean, honestly, this is comfortable for me. I'm sorry it doesn't fit your queen size bed and high white ceilings of your loft"

She rolls her eyes promptly. "Please, look at you. You're too big to even turn around in here. Might as well move into the Garage" She pokes at his stomach. "Geez, what are you on, anyway?"

He swats her hand away. "Nah, this is all authentic, sweetheart"

She laughs. "Too good to be true"

He grins and folds his arms behind his head and relaxes. "So how's everything else? How's work? How's Steve?"

She lies out on his bed in the same fashion I did. "Work is cool. Just started this new campaign with MAC, remember the one I told you about? Just got a shitload of new models to design for and commissions are flying left and right. Work is love"

He smiles. "And Steve?"

She sighs. "He's great. We're speaking again, we broke it off for the seventh time this year a few weeks back, but we're slowly coming back to each other"

He nods. "Aw, well work on it 'cuz I like him. He's cool"

The other girl walks out of the bathroom and into the room. She's a twin to her sister, only she has on a T-shirt that reads "Eat Me" and sweats.

"Who we talking about, Steve? Ugh, total bore" She plops down at the foot of the bed between Jake and her twin.

"Becca, you're the type of girl to think a guy's boring if he wears Sperry's"

"They're so vintage!" The girl on the bed objects. "Who even has time for that?"

Becca shrugs. "I just can't dig a guy with Sperry's. Too 'my daddy pays for my life and wants to buy you' and what not. Can't deal with the pressure" She looks at her nails.

Jake rolls his eyes. "You need to find somebody nice, someone I can beat up"

"Yeah, well…I could say the same for you and speaking of…" She looks up at him expectantly. "Who's this new mysterious Bae of yours?"

He freezes over. "What Bae?"

Becca looks at her sister.

"Jake, c'mon, what are we, stupid? You've never looked this happy and luminous and we're as good as it gets, so we know" She says.

Jake blushes and rolls his eyes. "There is nothing to tell, honestly"

"Mhm" They both hum in unison.

"Rachel, what time are you two heading over to Sam's?" says their father from the Living Room.

"Oh, right," Rachel sits up on the bed. "I'm about to head over in a bit" She runs her hands through her head. "Emily wants us to see the dress sooo bad, she thinks it's too much"

"You driving?" Becca looks at Jake.

He laughs. "You are sadly mistaken if you think I'll be wasting my hard earned gas on a five minute walk through the woods. Hell no"

"For one of you little puppies to run up and scare the hell out of me? Ugh, goodbye" She replies standing to her feet.

"Puppies my ass" He laughs and stretches out his feet. His eyes wander around the room and he rubs his face. When he moves his hand, his eyes hover along the ceiling and then drop to the window and to me.

I cock my head outside.

He blinks away from me. "Just take the keys, they're on the table"

"This is such a terrible homecoming" Becca says, rising to her feet and fucking up Jake's hair and dodging a playful hit by him on the way out. Rachel pokes him in his side and he jumps clean out the chair laughing.

"Still ticklish, Jakey-bear?" She grins and walks out. "Are you coming with?" She asks their father.

Jake stretches and yawns with his eyes watching the door before he closes it some and slips up the window.

"The new creeper look works for you" He grins.

I laugh. "Shut up" I look back at his sisters making their way to his car. I can see them, but they can't see me. I turn back to him. "What you up to?"

He shakes his head and leans on his bed. "Nothing as you can see" He flashes a smile.

I lick at the corner of my mouth. "Wanna do something?

He hikes the window all the way up and leans forward. "What?" I can taste the cinnamon toast crunch and fries lingering on his breath.

I lean close teasingly. "You'll only find out if you come…"

He grins. "Uhuh" He eases back and shuts the window. He jogs out the room and locks up. "So…" He says walking up to me.

We start to walk. "Your sister's…they look sweet and chastising"

He plops his hands in his pocket. "Meh, their angels. How long were you out here, anyway?"

I shrug. "Not even three minutes, give or take"

He nods. "Hm…" He looks at me and grins.

It has a domino effect on me. "What?"

He shakes head. "Nothing, nothing at all. Tell me where we're going?"

I glance around. "Why, worried somebody might spot us?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, nobody's ever out this time of night, so we're good"

"Huh" I smile. "You like piggy back rides?"

He narrows his gaze slightly. "Do I like…wait, why?"

I shrug innocently. "I'm just asking, Jakey-Bear"

He laughs like it's not funny. "Hey, that's not funny"

"Aw, I think it's adorable"

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. You offering a back ride?"

"The question is are you ready?" We stop just on the outskirts of the field.

He shrugs. "Whenever you are, Marble Man"

I smirk. "Marble Man? Please" In a single move, I pick him up, secure his legs around me, and break into a sprint. He wraps his arms around my neck and howls into the night with glee.

This is fun. I weave my way in and out of the trees, off the reservation and up the mountains. I slow down to a walk once we reach the spot.

"You can open your eyes now" I snicker.

"Oh, so you got jokes, huh?" He slides off me and takes a good look around. "Whoa…"

From our spot, we can see miles and miles of Washington. All of Forks is visible, and in the distance glows Port Angeles like fireflies. The air is cool, crisp, and fresh. The grass is littered with tulips and roses.

He looks at me and I shrug. "I come out here sometimes, you know, when I just wanna be alone" I say. "Sometimes just to watch the stars, clears my head"

He finally looks up and his mouth drops in wonder.

I smile and step up behind him. "The entire constellation. There's Orion's belt, the dippers, Pegasus. Pretty sure that big circular one is Jupiter and that one over there, the reddish one is Venus" I glance at his mesmerized eyes. "Beautiful, isn't?" He is, he really is.

"Yeah…" After a moment, his eyes fall from the sky and land on me. "Why'd you bring me here?"

I look at him earnestly. "I…honestly, I want to ask you something and this seemed like a nice setting to talk…" I sit down on the grass.

He smile slyly and sits across from me. "Okay. Shoot"

Whew. "Okay, so I know we've just started to become close, and," I scratch at my head. "I don't know how to make this sound less awk, because I know all of this originated from your imprint, but," I sigh. "How do you feel towards me, honestly?"

He stares into my eyes without blinking before he looks up to the sky again. "How do I feel about you…?" He chews on his lips before he speaks. "I think you're an interesting guy. Not because you're into me and I'm into you, you just are. And of course, I find you extremely attractive and childish at times, hence the piggy back ride" His smile makes me smile.

"Gotta admit, you loved it, though" I make a pouty face. "You loved it, though!"

He pushes me onto my back. "Hush" He laughs. His fingers trail off my arm like he's hesitant to lose contact. He unfortunately decides to keep his hands to himself and folds them in his lap.

He inhales and his eyes wander. "To be honest, I think of you a lot. It's like when you're not around, I feel a little uneasy like I'm missing something huge, but when you are, everything's so perfect" He's using his hands as he talks and I can see where his eyes are glossing over. "You make me happy, the happiest guy in the world, and…" He inhales again and wipes at his eyes. "I don't…I can't see my life going forward without you enjoying the ride with me"

I sit up and wipe another tear from his cheek. He leans into the coolness of my hand.

"Didn't expect that at all" I joke to lighten the mood.

He breaks into a grin. "I know, right?" He wipes his eyes clear of tears. "Got me all emotional and shit" He laughs a little, but his emotions are storming within him. He looks off and sighs. "I never admitted that before. That was from my heart."

I just look at him, completely overwhelmed. I didn't expect this, none of it.

He watches me silently, his warm breath fanning against my face. He licks his lips and cautiously slides closer.

I lean in and savor the sensation of his lips against mine. The heat of his skin floods through me like a wildfire. It's addicting.

He presses closer, his hands going to my thighs and I'm done. I pull him flush against me and lay flat on my back. Our temperatures collide and erupt. I drag my teeth across his bottom lip and he lets me in. our tongues glide against each other with a vigorous energy that wrings a moan out of both of us.

I feel all of his want, his lust, his need rolling off his tongue and body and I give in to him. The urge for dominance arises and our tongues fight for power.

He grinds his hips against mine and I choke on a breath and he overtakes my mouth. His fingers tug through my hair. My hands slide down his sides, feeling his molten skin prickle at my touch. I grip his waist sharply with my nails digging in.

He lets out a flustered groan and grinds harder against me.

I pant into his mouth as he does it again. He slides away from my mouth and licks down to my neck, his tongue lapping like a dog. He laps away and sucks on my skin, which drives me completely insane. My eyes drift close.

My hands continue to roam down his waist, riding slowly over his waistband before diving into his lose shorts and gripping the globes of his ass. He exhales a musky moan into the crook of my neck.

His erection rubs against my stomach. I can feel the blood rushing through him, pooling at his groin, awaiting the pleasure. I give his ass one last squeeze and hook my thumbs around the rim of his shorts.

I wanna pull them down so bad. I want to feel him writhing underneath me, moaning in my ear, screaming my name so loud, it'll echo all over for miles…

"Jake…we gotta stop…" It takes everything in me to say it.

His body goes rigid and after a moment, he leans back to look at me. He sits back on my lap with his straddled thighs and looks at me. His expression screams why.

"How come?" He says breathlessly. His lips are swollen and even in the starlight, his eyes are swirling.

"I don't…fuck. I've never done this before…with a guy and I just…I don't wanna rush anything…" Fuck. Fuck.

He breathes with deep exhale. "You're not. I promise" It's more of a whisper of disappointment.

I shake my head and sit up. I cradle his face in my hands as he wraps his legs around me. "Still, we can't. I don't want to, not yet, and definitely not here"

He smiles and his teeth flash. "Yet…"

I grin and eye his lips that belong to me. "Yet"

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

He carries me on his back on the way down the mountain.

"How far are we out, anyway?"

He turns to the side to look back at me. "Four miles or so" He looks back ahead. "Why, did you have plans with your sisters?"

"Nah" I relax my arms around his strong neck. "Just wondering how much time we have left" He looks back at me. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. "Besides, they'd worry about me. How long have we been gone?"

His hands tighten underneath my knees like he doesn't want to think about letting me go. "About an hour, hour and a half" He steps over a fallen tree. "Want me to sprint? Get you back faster?

I shake my head and rest my chin on his shoulder. "No…" It sounds small. "Take your time"

He rests his head on mine and sighs.

"When did you get so touchy?" I mumble without even thinking. Not that I'm complaining.

He looks to me. "You're turning me into a sap"

It makes me smile. "My sap…" I plant a kiss on his neck and he smiles.

We walk on the rest of the way in silence. His feet shuffles against the grass that turns into gravel and eventually a road that leads into town. It's well lit, but empty. He puts me down. We walk side by side closely. He scratches his head awkwardly as we walk, his right hand swinging close to mine.

I snicker to myself. "You look a little lonely over there"

"Huh?" He asks, smile brightening his face.

I hold out my hand. He grins and his fingers slip into mine like a mold. Even from here, the brightness of Forks and Port Angeles seems so distant.

"You know…you never asked me how I felt about you…" He says.

"That's right…" I looks his way. "You can tell me…"

He looks at me with a hesitant flicker in his eyes and then he's looking at the ground.

"I…" He inhales deeply. "Ever since we started hanging together…" He says his words slow and careful. "I've changed" He talks with his hands as well. "I've become calmer, gentle, more understanding of things I wouldn't normally understand and…" He meets my eyes. "It's all because of you. When you're around, I feel…God, I can't even explain"

I take a step closer to him and he opens his arms for me. "I just feel a thousand times better, whole. And when your happy, I'm happy and-and I know it sounds so cliché, but to have you around makes the world melt away" He plants a kiss to my hair. "You're the anchor that ties me down…I know that this is the beginning of something new for both of us, and I don't want it to end…ever"

My heart hitches in my throat. There's so many words I want to say, but can't get out. Instead, I breathe in the smell of him. "Me either…"

He holds me in silence. I want this moment to last forever, to never change.

I look up to him, to those eyes that are a mystified tint. He presses is lips against mine gently and nuzzles my nose.

Our eyes linger and he smiles. "C'mon," He says slowly, loosening his hold and taking my hand again. "Let's get you home"

 


	18. Catching Up

**Paul’s P.O.V.**

I sit out on Sam and Emily’s porch looking up at the night sky. It’s mostly clear with a few thin clouds drifting by here and there, but it’s there and it’s bright. The stars look like God just poured glitter into the air and called it what it was.

It’s weird seeing it. Clear skies just don’t happen here, not often. This summer has been interesting.

“Paul?”

I look to Emily. “Yeah?”

She’s in one of Sam’s shirts that hang off her frame a little. “I’m putting the food away, did you want another plate or two?”

It’s a quick contemplation, but “Nah, I’m good, thanks” They had dinner tonight and invited. Sam ran out to the store.

She nods. “I’ll wrap you a plate, anyway” She says with a smile.

I nod and my eyes stray away.

She lingers in the doorway. “You alright?”

I hear her, but I don’t. “Hm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine”

She raises her eyebrows. “Sure?”

I open my mouth to speak, but I just shrug. “I don’t know”

She comes out and sits beside me. She doesn’t ask for a long time, and when she does, it takes me back. “What’s wrong?”

I sear my thoughts for the answer. “That’s the thing. I don’t know” I look at her. “I…just don’t know”

She looks at me with kind and calm eyes. I’ve seen her scars up close a million times, but they look different in the moonlight.

“Well…just start and I’ll listen” She offers. She pulls her knees close to her and waits for me.

“It’s just…I don’t know how I feel. I’m happy, I have Jake and he’s happy, things are fine, so I just…” And I don’t know why I feel like this all of a sudden. “I don’t understand why things feel weird”

She just watches. “What do you mean weird?”

“Like…something’s wrong or something’s about to go wrong. It’s just this uneasy feeling that I don’t know how to stop because this is all new…” I look at her. “I…”

She watches me for a few moments and then drops her gaze to the leaves at the foot of the steps. “You know, when Sam imprinted, it felt like…” She blinks and everything starts to seem hazy about her. “My world was being flipped upside down, like everything I knew and felt just capsized the moment he laid eyes on me” She rubs her palms together.

“It was really weird. I didn’t understand why it was happening to me, because I was away for so long before I came back here. I remember the legends and myths as a kid, but I just stopped believing once I got older.”

She looks at me. “’He imprinted on you’ my mother was OD ecstatic about it. My Dad could care less because he thought Sam wasn’t it for me. Meanwhile, I was just lost. I didn’t understand why my life was all of a sudden a shambles and why I couldn’t picture moving on without Sam being there. I was just so jittery”

Never heard any of this before.

“My thoughts on what you’re feeling, though it’s a role reversal and I don’t know how Jake feels, but it’s just bad nerves” She concludes. “You being anxious and feeling like something is wrong is just bad nerves” She bumps her knee against mine. “You’ll be fine.”

I take it all in. I never looked at it in that light before. Bad nerves. “It makes sense…”

“Yeah…” She hums. She looks out at the sky. “Do you love him?”

It washes over me. “Yeah. We’ve known each other our whole lives. We’ve always been together, partners in crime” I shrug. “It’s just weird, how fate just takes control without permission”

“Hm…” She runs her hands through her hair. Her ring sparkles in the light.

“Have any regrets?”

She smiles now. “None”

I laugh. “Well, of course not. You’re getting married in like two days”

She laughs out loud. She has a hilarious laugh. “Shut up”

Our grins linger for a little bit. There’s a car coming down their driveway, the lights illuminating the entire yard in front the house. It’s Jake’s car, but his sisters are the only ones in it.

I mean, I don’t mean it like that.

“Emmmmmmmmmmmmm!” Becca screams, flying out the car well before Rachel even puts it in park out front.

“Hey, honey!” Rachel follows suit.

“Oh my goshhhhhh!” Emily rockets off the porch and all three of them dance around in a hug.

“Oh, Em, you look beautiful, darling, how are you?” Rachel croons.

“I’m good, how are you guys? Haven’t seen you in years” She’s really excited to see them.

“We’re good, we’re good!” Becca says. “But we can chat later. Where’s this dress of yours?”

Typical Becca.

“Ugh, the dress!” Emily promptly deflates and turns to the house. “I feel like I’m about to burn it” She trudges past me into the house, with the girls right on her toes.

“Hey, Paul, how are you?” Rachel asks, leaning in for a hug.

She smells like oatmeal cookies. “I’m good and yourself?”

She smiles. “Good, good” She continues on and glances back at Becca who’s making her way behind her.

I speak first. “Hey”

She smiles a casual smile. “Hey yourself” She rubs her hand across my shoulder as she goes into the house.

Okay. It wasn’t as weird as I thought it’d be.

Another set of headlights light up the house and then Sam’s pulling alongside Jake’s car. He gets out and grabs his few bags from the backseat.

“Becca and Rachel?” He asks, walking up.

I nod. “Yeah”

He nods in passing. “Hey, could you grab that case of water from the trunk”

I grab it and set underneath the window sill in the Kitchen. He tosses his keys and bags on the table and starts to unpack.

“And don’t hold back if you don’t like it,” Emily says. “I’m serious!”

Becca laughs. “Girl, just show us the dress and quit bugging!”

There’s the sound of ruffling plastic and then a collective gasp.

“Oh my god, this…is…gorgeous!” Rachel practically screams. I heard she was an up and coming fashion designer up in New York.

I sit down at the table and cross my arms.

“You alright?” Sam looks at me as he puts his milk away.

I shrug it off. “Yeah, I’m cool”

He nods and balls up the bags and stuffs them in a drawer. He walks into the bedroom and peeks in. “Hello, hello”

“Hey, Sam” Becca goes.

“Don’t be slick, you know you’re not supposed to see the dress” Rachel chastises.

Sam smirks and backs away from the door. “Your right, my bad”

Becca comes out and hugs him. “How are you?”

“I’m good, good. How’s New York?” He asks once they let go.

She shrugs and heads into the Kitchen. “It’s busy” She laughs. “I’d rather move back this way”

He shakes his head and heads into the bathroom. “You don’t mean that!”

She takes one of the bottled waters out. “You’re so right!” He eyes stray to me after her first gulp. “What you smiling for?”

I shrug. “Forgot how funny you guys are”

She smirks and takes another swig before she spins the top back on the bottle. She stares at me.

“You look good” She says. “I’m living for the buff look”

I nod. “Thanks, so do you”

She nods and looks to her bottle again. “How’s your Dad?”

“Uhm…he’s making it. Doing alright. He’ll be at the wedding”

Another nod. “Good, good”

“How’s Wall St.?”

She promptly rolls her eyes and leans back on the Kitchen counter. She scrunches her face up. “It’s exactly what I expected, but not what I’m looking for in life, you know?”

I nod. “Yeah, I get what you mean”

She shrugs. “I mean, it’s cool, I guess. I’m thankful and blessed. Got my own apartment, good pay, and great view,” She adds. “You should come visit one day”

“Meh” I shrug. “Central Park isn’t big enough for me, plus it snows way more than it does here”

She scoffs. “Paul, it’s freaking August, you’d be fine. New York has plenty of back country to roll around in”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah…”

We sit in silence for a while. Emily, Sam, and Rachel are talking in the other room now, but I’m not listening to them.

“So…” She goes, and she’s about to be nosey, I know it. “Anybody knew in your life?”

I look at her. I haven’t been dreading this question since I knew she was coming, it’s more of, I haven’t figured out how I want to answer it yet.

I shrug. “Well, yeah. You can say that”

“Really?” Her face brightens. “Oh, do tell. Wait” She comes around, and sits a chair away from me. “I’m listening”

I chuckle. “Who says I wanna tell you who it is?”

She drops her ‘you tried it’ expression. “C’mon, don’t be like that”

“I’m serious” I sit up in my seat. “Why do I gotta tell you who it is? Why you wanna know?”

She shrugs. “I’m just curious. Is it a crime to catch up with your ex to see how he’s doing?”

I give her the same look. “Or who I’m doing, in your case”

Her eyebrows fly up. “Even better! C’mon, spill”

I slouch on the table. “Nah, you go first”

“What makes you think I have somebody?” She gages.

I roll my eyes. “I’ll wait”

She sighs. “Alright, fine. His name’s Nick. He’s an accounting intern, he’s 23 and enjoys jogs through Central Park at 5:25 in the morning” She does this weird thing with her eyes. “God, why’d I just tell you that? Knowing you, you’ll find a way to run him down and scare the hell out of him”

I laugh. “Not a bad idea, but nah” I smile. “That’s great. How long have you guys been dating?”

She takes a swig. “About a year. He’s dying to come home with me, but I’m not trying to send him to an Asylum with you guys around” She bumps my leg. “Now spill”

I exhale. “Okay” No point of holding back now. “I uh I imprinted”

Her eyebrows shoot up like I knew they would. “Oh! Oh, wow. Congrats!” She smacks my arm. She tosses the bottle to the trashcan and actually makes it. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

Then again, I don’t know. “Eh, maybe we can save this for another time” I get up from the table and she pushes me back in my seat.

“Uh uh” She has that same fierceness as her brother. “I spilled, now I’m listening. Do I know her? I feel like I do”

I flare my nostrils. “I kinda don’t wanna say. I actually don’t want to say, out of respect”

She rests her head on her hands. “Out of whom?”

I sigh. “You can’t ask questions like that. I’m not telling you”

She sits back in her chair with a dramatic exhale. “Jesus, Paul. It’s me. Who the hell would I tell?”

I narrow my eyes. “That’s rhetorical, right?”

She gives me a blank stare. “I’m serious”

I sigh. “Yeah…yeah…”

She just sits there and watches me with bright eyes and an unpleased expression. We’ve been doing this for years, even before she left to go away, even before we broke up. I should be used to it by now, but alas.

“Okay…first off…it’s not a girl, uhm” _That’s a bit daring for you, isn’t it?_ It’s just flowing out. I don’t have a reason to be nervous.

Her face drops into confusion. “Wait, what?” She inches forward in her seat.

I nod. “Just as shocked as I was”

She pieces something together. “Since when did you guys imprint of dudes?”

“See, these are the type of questions that I want answers to”

She nods absentmindedly. “So…when did you become…?”

I don’t even have to finish her sentence. “Since I imprinted on your brother” It comes out a little irritable, but whatever. It’s out there, now.

She sits back and looks at me in a daze. Then she looks off and for a second, I think I broke her brain. Who can take this information, especially someone you used to be infatuated with? But then, the confusion leaves her face and then she’s fucking grinning. Shit, shit, shit!

“Oh-Oh! This is too good” She looks at me and now she has that crazed older sister look in her eyes that means she’s going to blow it out of proportion.

I stop her before she even thinks about getting up. “Listen, don’t. Don’t go around running your mouth about what I said. I’m not even sure I was supposed to tell you. I know I wasn’t”

And now that look is trained on me. “Oh my God! You imprinted on Jake?!” She won’t hear a word I say from here on out. “That is soooooo” She can’t even stop smiling.

“Who imprinted on Jake?” Rachel asks, quick coming into the room.

Becca spins around. “Girl” She rises to her feet. “Let me tell you…” She’s speaking with her hands and it just makes matters worse.

“Okay, I’m out” I get up and walk out the house. Sam and Emily come out of the room with knowing expression.

“Paul, wait!” Becca calls after me. “Nah, I didn’t mean it like that! Paul!”

“Urgh!” I shouldn’t have done that. What if he doesn’t want them to know, yet? He was forced to tell Billy, now this?

**Emmett P.O.V.**

His hand is so warm in mine. I love it. It’s just the little things that I notice about him that makes my mind float.

We walk down the main road into La Push. There’s no cars out, no pedestrians. There’s a few porch lights on, but nobody is out at this time of night.

It’s peaceful.

I look at him. He’s looking everywhere but at me. I can tell something’s on his mind.

“You alright?”

He looks to me. “Yeah, just…”

“I know. You don’t wanna go home”

He nods and yawns. “I don’t like spending time with you and having to go back to reality. It just sucks is all” His eye wander some more.

He’s grown a tad mellow, but I understand. I pull him close and plant a kiss on his head. “Yeah, I know…”

We stop walking about halfway down his street. There’s some people sitting on their porches a few houses up. Old Women love to gossip and snitch, so I just don’t.

He turns around and his hands slide around me. I hug him close.

“Why do you always smell so good?” He mumbles, muffled by my chest.

It makes me grin. “So you can keep hugging me”

He looks up at me and grins, too. Our lips connect and the world just slips away for a few seconds more.

I remember where we are before things get too heated. I can feel his hands sliding down. I stop him gently and he pulls away with a puppy pout.

I stroke his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, cheer up”

He rubs my hand with his and plants a kiss to my finger before he smiles and turns to walk down the street.

I watch him for a little bit, just to make sure he gets in, and then I turn back.

The walk home is quiet. I don’t feel like running. There’s no traffic, maybe a car or two now that I’m on the main road that wraps around Forks. A few deer scramble past at the sight of me. Nothing major.

I don’t like the way my hand feels now. It’s colder, which sucks.

Good thing is the house is quiet when I walk in. Esme’s in the Dining Room crocheting. Carlisle’s in his office writing. I don’t know where Jaz and Alice are, and I don’t care for Rosalie’s whereabouts.

Edward and Bella are cuddled up on the couch watching a movie. I lean in on them.

She looks up at me. “Hey, Emmett” Edward glances over casually.

“Hey, there” I say.

She sits up. “Heard you met up with Jake. How was it?”

I drop my gaze. I can’t help but smile. “It was great, he’s really…he’s great” My chest feels tight, now.

She nods. “Cool” She looks at Edward whose still looking.

I flash a tightlipped smile and turn to go.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” He finally asks.

I pause in the hallway. I turn my head to him. “Yeah…” I chew on my lip.

He doesn’t say anything back. I continue on. My chest just feels like I’m walking on air.

Damn, Jake.

**Jacob’s P.O.V.**

“And I might need some more nature seasoning as well” Dad says, stirring his pot of chili. 

I look down at the list he’s made. “I promise you everything on this list is in the cabinet” He’s been giving me item after item for dinner. We’ve been in the kitchen since I got back.

He raises an eyebrow. “Well, go ahead, skyscraper. Prove me wrong”

“Alright” I step past him and reach into the cabinets and pull out every single thing on the list. There isn’t much of everything, but we have it.

He throws a glance at the seasonings and continues cooking. “I said more, not that we didn’t have any”

I roll my eyes. “Admit it, Dad. You didn’t know we had any of this”

He sighs. “When will you learn? Your Father is never wrong”

That causes me to gawk. “In what life has that ever made sense?”

_Knock, Knock!_

“Well,” He looks to the door. “I’ve lived quite a long life, don’t question it”

“Yeah, yeah” I go and open the door.

Paul smiles and rocks back on his heels. “Hey”

I smile and lean in for a hug. “What’s up, man?”

He plants a small kiss on my neck before he steps away. “Nothing, uhm…Oh, hey, Billy”

Dad’s in the Kitchen doorway watching us. As much as it feels weird, it’s interesting to watch.

“How are ‘ya, Paul?” He asks.

Paul shrugs, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. “Good, can’t complain. You?”

Dad nods approvingly. “Good, good” He remembers what we were doing and points a thumb to the stove. “You staying for dinner? Just made a huge pot of chili and homemade rolls are in the oven”

I can see the urge in his composure to sit at the table till it’s ready, yet he looks at me. “Uhm, yeah, sure”

Dad nods again. “Alright, that was all I wanted, son. You boys run along”

He says it so quick that I almost don’t catch it. _Son_. Paul nods at him and looks at me as he walks to my room. He sits down on the bed.

“See Becca and Rachel?” I ask, falling out beside him.

He nods. “Yep” He stares at the floor.

“Talk with Becca about…you know?”

He sighs and inclines his head. “Mmhmm…” He nods slowly.

I give him a look. “What’s wrong?”

He looks up at the wall. “Nothing, why?”

“Because you’re not looking at me and your acting weird” I narrow my gaze and sit up.

He shakes his head nonchalantly. “Nah…” He looks down at his hands. He keeps peeking at me out of the corner of his eyes.

“What, why do you keep doing that? Did she say something?” Fuck, if she did…

“No, no. I mean, we talked and there were some things said, but…” He rambles.

I raise an eyebrow. “What kind of things?”

He shrugs and scoffs and mumbles something all at the same time.

“You’re frustrating me by not looking directly at me” I say.

He chews on his lip and turns to me. “We just talked…”

“I don’t even like the way you said that. _We just talked_. Talked about…? Fill in the blanks”

He looks at me strangely, almost out of pity. What the hell?

“I…” He uses his hands to say absolutely nothing. “We caught up, talked about life, and…” His eyes have strayed, but he’s looking at me carefully now. “Somehow, the conversation twisted to…relationships and…”

“What? What’re y…?” Then that shit clicks in my head. “You did NOT say anything to her”

He deflates. “Jake-”

“What the hell? You did?” I get up. “What the hell, Paul? I haven’t even told them, yet, and you didn’t even ask me!”

He sighs. “I know…”

I roll my eyes and shake my head. “What the fuck, like…” I don’t even know what else to say. “I was going to tell them eventually, with you there with me, but…” I exhale.

He looks up at me. “I’m sorry”

My glare softens some. “It’s whatever. They know, it’s only a matter of time before it spreads”

He just looks at me and it’s all in his face that he feels terrible.

I sit down next to him. “I mean…I was going to tell them eventually, maybe this weekend, but I just wish we would have talked about it first” I make him look at me. “Okay?

He nods. “Yeah…”

The anger burns off and in no time, our lips are locked.

As much as it annoys me that he opened his mouth before we had the chance to fully discuss anything, I’m not that mad at him. I was going to say something eventually, but whatever. It’s going down as soon as they walk in.

“Fuck it” I pull him down on me and he goes willingly.

And just like that, all hell breaks loose when the front door burst open.

“Oh, Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting this yesterday. Completely slipped my mind. Hope you enjoyed it! Three more chapters left! 
> 
> Enjoy your New Years, Everyone!!


	19. Bachelor Party

**Enjoy!**

**Jacob's P.O.V.**

“Jake! C’mon, dude, wake up! Jake! ”

I feel the edge of a bright Friday morning slowing crawling through the curtains. I ignore the shit out of it and snuggle closer into the bed.

“No, seriously, get up. We’re about to leave your ass behind” Rachel sighs, agitated.

A groan rolls off me. “Where?”

“Are they up yet or nah?” Becca’s voice travels from the other room. “It’s like 9:30. You guys need to quit wasting time. Breakfast awaits!”

“No!” Rachel exhales. “Jake, are you going or what? We gotta catch up with Emily afterwards. It’s now or never, bro”

I shrug and turn over. “Just…bring me something back…pancakes and bacon!”

“Fuck that, you better bring that ass and c’mon. You too, Paul!” She walks out. “We’re taking the car, so you guys are walking!” I hear my keys scrap across the table and the door slam then there’s golden silence.

He was sleep, but he shifts beside me and inhales deeply. “I wouldn’t mind some French toast” He mumbles.

I look at him and run my fingers through his hair. He swallows and smacks his lips before his eyes flutter open. 

“Morning…” He stretches out, his elbows and legs bumping against the wall.

“Morning, Paulie” They called him that all night.

He laughs suddenly. “Can we please just…not…” He turns over on his back with his eyes closed.

I grin. “It was definitely a well needed conversation, one of my most dreaded moments might I add”

He sighs and opens his eyes again. “I’m sorry, really”

I shrug. “I mean, I think its cool their okay with it” My shoulders slump as I lay on him, my chin resting on his chest. “They were bound to find out sometime”

He looks up at the ceiling with his hand resting on my back. “I mean, I’d expect them to. They’re your sisters. Their born to accept and support you, regardless of what it is, even if they go overboard majority of the time”

I sigh. “Titanic proportions”

He hums low in his that sounds like a lion cub trying to roar. “Yeah…” His fingers trickle through the nape of my neck and into my hair and fuck that feels all types of good.

“You think…I should tell my Dad?” He asks hesitantly. “About us, I mean…”

I ponder it. “Why wouldn’t you?”

He meets my gaze and then his eyes trail back to the ceiling. “I don’t know” His shoulders rise and fall in a tense shrug. “Becca and Rachel took it like a Christmas gift and Billy, too, but…” He chews on his lip nervously. “I just don’t want to seem like I’m hiding it from him, you know? Everybody else knows except him”

I drum my fingers against his chest. “Well, how do you think he’ll take it?” He and Will have had some pretty serious fights and feuds in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised.

“Bad. And I know he will. You’ve never seen how homophobic he is. Maybe Sam has, but it’s really bad” He blinks. “It’s scary, now that things are different”

“I don’t think it’s right for him to feel that way and I don’t want you scared to tell him…I could come with?”

He shakes his head slowly and looks at me. “Nah, it’ll only make everything worse” He puts his hands over his eyes and pouts.

I inhale. “We’ll think of something” I plant a kiss to his nipple and he smiles.

The phone rings in the Living Room. I lazily begin to sit up off him.

His arms tighten just a little. “No…” He groans. “Stay with me…”

There goes the second ring. “C’mon, I gotta answer the phone…”

He sits up. “It can wait…let the machine get it…” He whispers into my ear, breath sending a chill down my neck.

I pull away. “I’ll be right back” There’s the third ring.

He plants a kiss on my cheek before flopping back to the mattress. “Fine” He rolls his eyes and folds his arms behind his head.

“Breakfast in bed?” I lean in and plant a kiss on his lips and dodge off before he can pull me in.

He exhales. “Why are you such a terrible person?” He says after me.

“Aye, this terrible person is making you food!” I pick up the phone. “Hullo?”

“Jesus, you know, do I have to start sending an S.W.A.T. team after you or something? When somebody calls you, you are tied by fate, obliged, destined to give that somebody a call-”

I try and speak, but I’m cut off.

“-and even if they don’t answer, like you have been doing by example, you are obliged to try again and again until they answer”

I run a hand through my hair. “Cry me a river, Bella” I see Paul come out of my room out of the corner of my eye.

She sighs. “My feelings are feeling very humpty dumpty right now” A door slams on her end or is it mine?

“Yeah, yeah. What’s going?”

She exhales. “Really?” _Knock, knock!_ “Just open the door, jackass”

I glance out the window and sure enough see the red truck parked out front. I hang up.

“Somebodies coming over?” He asks. He’s in the fridge.

I shrug. “Yeah, I guess” I step over to the door and his arms snatch me from behind. “C’mon, I gotta answer the door” I protest, pushing at his arms. I can feel his dick hardening against me. _Oh_.

He leans into my neck and plants an open mouth kiss. “You said you would be right back…took too long…” His teeth are scraping along my neck and making my legs feel like jello.

“I’m not…” His tongue is lapping at my skin and shit. “Just gotta…”

_Knock, knock!_ “C’mon, Jake!”

I groan and push him back. “C’mon, stop”

He stumbles with a grin. I roll my eyes and open the door.

“A good minute and forty-two seconds, Jake, you are slipping” Bella says bleakly, arms crossed. Her hair’s in a ponytail and out of her face, the tail whipping around her jacket.

“Well shit, my apologies, your highness. I will try to hasten my pace at your next unexpected arrival” I throw a bow in.

She rolls her eyes. “You’re hilarious” She leans in to hug me.

“How are you?” I ask, pulling apart.

She shrugs and steps inside. “I’m good, although, you on the other hand…” She does this thing with her eyebrows.

I raise mine. “I’m sorry?” She knows something.

She purses her lips. “Mhm. We’ll discuss that later”

Paul clears his throat behind us.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t see you there” She says.

He looks off. “Clearly…” He looks at me and then walks into my room and comes back, clothes in hand. “Uhm, I’m gonna jet” He slips his shoes on and shirt and looks at me. “I’ll see you tonight at Sam’s, okay” He plants a kiss on my lips before stepping around Bella without a word and walking off.

She looks after him and looks back to me. “So…”

“He doesn’t like you, hold on” I walk out after him. “Hey!”

He turns back. “What?”

I raise my hands. “Why’re you leaving?”

He shrugs. “I’m just letting you catch up with your friend” It’s so nonchalant.

“Hmph, okay…” I don’t push it any further.

His eyes flicker behind me once more. “I’ll see you later”

I exhale. “Alright” He turns and continues on up the street. He only turns back at the next street to wave and then he’s gone.

I sigh and turn back to the house.

“So I’m guessing not speaking to him would be ideal from here on out” She says.

“Yeah,” I exhale. “Save yourself the cold shoulder”

She pats her pockets. “Alright, then. Now, if you could be so kind as to get dressed so we can go”

“Where are we going this time?” I ask walking into the bathroom.

“You’ll see...”

I shower and go through my routine. A grey T-shirt and shorts are in order.

“It might rain later, so bring a hoodie” She says walking out to the truck.

I snag the black sleeveless hoodie from the floor and shoes and go.

She pulls off as soon as I get in the car.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

She shrugs as we hit the main road. “The pier. There’s this seafood place, uhm, Riley’s, I think. Dad says they serve really good tilapia and steak”

“Hm. Kinda in the mood for chicken…”

“Also, where they serve really good chicken and duck” She adds.

“Then we’re all set” I grin.

She smirks. “Always. How’s the wedding planning going?”

“Good, actually. It’s tomorrow, around three-ish up at the meadow. You should come”

She chews on her lip. “Meh, I don’t know. If that’s the way Paul acts, everybody else’s gotta be fifty percent worse” She exhales. "Seriously, I don't wanna offset anything"

I sigh. “You’ll be fine. Dad and the rest of the guys will be there”

“Yeah…I’ll think about it. Did you get everything you need as far as food and decorations?”

I start nodding. “Yeah, just about…shit. Which reminds me, know anywhere I can get a cake?”

She looks at me quick as shit. “You guys don’t have a cake and its tomorrow? Jesus”

“Crazy shit, right. Everybody’s busy getting stuff ready and wedding cakes are hella expensive. Sue volunteered to make one, but she’s not the best baker and I thought it’d be cool to get one professionally made, you know?”

“Yeah…” She mulls it over. “Well, there’s a bridal shop in Port Angeles? We can try there or…Alice?”

I shake my head. “I’ll pretend I didn’t just hear you say her name”

“Oh, c’mon. She’ll go nuts over it if you asked. You know how much she loves to help out with this stuff. She used to run an entire chain of wedding shops in the thirties”

“Yeah okay, but what if Sam doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea of her making it?”

She hands over her phone. "You’ll never know unless you try…” She says hopeful. “Shit, just call”

I exhale. “I feel like I’m giving her the deed to my death certificate” I scroll through and dial her number.

“Drama King” She mumbles as we pull into the Pier Plaza. It’s not too far outside of town, maybe fifteen minutes even. It’s a little busy for a Friday morning.

Alice picks up on the second ring. “Yes, Bella?” She sounds frantic like she’s expecting huge

“Hey, it’s Jake, actually…”

“Jacob?” She hesitates for a split second. “Hi, sorry for sounding so surprised. You don’t ever call me, even though I’ve given you my number four times. What’s up?”

“Yeah, I know, uhm…well, I’m calling because I need a favor…” I see Bella watching the parking lot for a spot and me out the corner of her eye.

“Okay, I’m listening…” She says suspiciously.

“Well, Sam is getting married tomorrow, he and Emily, and-”

“Wait, Emily doesn’t have her dress? Oh my God-and the day before the wedding? What-Urgh! What’s their address, I’ll be right over!” I hear the air stir, the notepads flying, and pens scribbling.

“Whoa, whoa, wait! No, it’s not that, no. It’s…we need a cake” I meet Bella’s mocking gaze.

Everything stills. “Oh, a cake? What is this, the twenties? Gosh! What kind? Icing or whipped cream? Did you want something towered or flat? Any decorations? Wh-”

“Alice! Geez, slow down," I laugh. “Let’s just bring it down a notch, okay?” Bella pulls into a spot.

She giggles. “Look, I'm sorry. It's just I haven't worked on a wedding cake in ages! Oh, this is going to be fun!"

“Yeah, I can tell” I nod Bella on and we get out.

"Hush!" She says. "Now, what time will you be free? I'll clear my entire schedule today and we can meet up and discuss the entire thing"

"Well, Bella and I are out for a bit now, but uhm I should be free in a good hour or two, give or take?”

“Alright, well you call me as soon as you two are on your way and not a second later!" Pages flip rapidly on her end. "There’s just so much to be done!"

I nod. "Okay, well, we’ll see you in a bit”

"Bye!" and the line drops. I stare at the phone.

"Well?" She asks.

"Well, I'm attending my own funeral in a few hours, you’re invited" I say, passing the phone.

She laughs. "You'll be fine"

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to stay with me…"

“Welp, you’re definitely right on that”

We walk down the pier to one of the restaurants that sits out on the water. It's a bit busy, but the waiter gives us one desperate look and whisks us away to a table closest to the windows.

Bella slides in the seat opposite of me. “So…” It’s so casual, but I get it.

I sigh. “Can we eat first before the interrogation? Damn” I say.

She raises her hands in defense. “Okay, uhm…” She looks around for the waiter.

I stare down at the menu.

A girl appears. “Hey guys, my name is Ariel and I'll be your waiter for today” She places a few napkins on the table. “Can I start you off with some drinks and an appetizer?”

I look up at her and can’t help but stare. "Uhm, no, just a water for me, thanks”

She nods fluidly. “A water, gotcha, and you?”

Bella shrugs. “A water’s fine, too”

Ariel nods. “Alright, two waters coming up!” She cheers and hurries off in a flurry of red hair.

I wait until she’s well out of hearing distance. “Now you can’t tell me she doesn’t remind you of _The Little Mermaid_ ”

She smirks. “Stop”

I laugh. “I’m serious. Who says mermaids don’t exist?” I get a look from a Mother of three a table over. “And she works on the pier. Perfect cover up”

“Your wild” She shakes her head. “So spill”

I exhale. “We kissed, alright?” Jesus. “Was that what you’ve been dying to hear?”

She perks up some. “I kinda figured,” She pauses. “How was it?”

I sigh. “It was…” I look out on the water that sparkles just like his marble skin. “I have a hard time describing it to myself” Mind-blowing?

“Breathtaking…” She says.

I’m speechless. “Exotically intense”

“Like the world means nothing for those few moments in time, just you and him…” She says, lips curling into a smile.

“Yeah…wild, isn’t it?”

She nods. “The wildest”

Ariel comes back. “Here is your waters, and are you two ready to order?”

“Uhm…we actually haven’t even looked at the menu, yet” I throw in a smile.

She nods. “Sure, okay. I’ll give you guys some more time” She flashes a grin and is off to the next table.

Bella takes a sip.

“We went out last night, nowhere, you know, public or anything. He has a spot up in the mountains that he gets away to every now and again. Really nice”

She looks up from the menu. “And?

“We just talked. Talked about how we felt about each other, this unexpected relationship we now have, our bond…” I shrug and drop my eyes to the menu. “This chipotle chicken sounds good”

“I saw that, I was thinking the sautéed tilapia” She looks at me. “So it’s official, you and him?”

I blink down at the menu a few times. “Yeah…” It hasn’t even hit me yet. “I guess we are”

The longer she stares, the wider her smile grows.

I shut the menu. “What?” I can feel my cheeks burning.

She shakes her head. “I didn’t say nothing” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I’m happy for you. Finally found someone that loves you more than I do”

“Oh, I know. Big load taker” I jab.

She huffs a laugh and runs her hands through her hair. “Okay, so I’ll be honest. I didn’t think it would work in the beginning, you know” She says it like she’s tip toeing around eggshells. “My best friend falling for my boyfriend’s brother who happens to be his ancient sworn enemy” She looks around. “Seemed a little pulp-fiction”

I shrug. “Doesn’t it? It’s so weird looking back on it”

“I would have never saw it coming” She admits.

“Yeah, you and me both”

And here comes Ariel with a nervous look on her face. “Am I too soon?”

I smile. “Nah, you’re fine. We’re ready” I nod Bella to go.

“Okay, I’ll just…I’ll get the sautéed tilapia and the grilled mac and cheese”

“Okay, and you get another side with that…” Ariel jots it down.

Bella mulls it over. “Maybe the mashed sweet potatoes”

Ariel nods. “Alrighty, and for you, Sir?”

I hand in the menu. “Uh the chipotle chicken and fries”

She takes note. “Alrighty” She takes the menus. “I’ll go put in your order and your food will be out shortly”

“Thanks”

Ariel beams. “My pleasure” And she’s gone.

Bella stares out at the sky. “I can’t believe we’re adults now. Just feels like yesterday we were in your backyard making mud pies” She snickers at the end.

I grin. “I remember that. You were so pressed about making the biggest one, you didn’t care what got dirty”

She grins. “And I think Charlie had just bought me a new pair of sketchers. He fussed all night”

Funny shit. “Yeah, damn, I remember. You were rough around the edges as a kid, just a tad”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You remember that time we were outside playing freeze tag or something and Paul kept moving home base everywhere? I think it was like a bucket or something”

I perk up. “I remember that. It was like some red scooter we found somewhere. His bitch ass”

We found this rusty old red flatbed scooter on the side of the road that clearly had seen too many thrill rides in its lifetime. Bella and I were the only ones playing at first, but then Paul brought his two cents and his friends and fucked up everything by moving the base when we weren’t looking with the same smirk on his face he has now.

My eyes fall to the table and then all around us.

“So…” She starts. “What’s up with Paul?”

Its take me a moment to get it out. “I…its weird and complicated. I mean, he’s great, he’s really great and different now with everything that happened and you know, we’re good, it’s just…” I can’t wrap my head around it. “He’s into me deep, and I feel the same way, you know, it’s just…there’s…”

She inhales. “Emmett…”

“Yeah, like, I have Emmett and I love it. I love him and everything we’ve been through. But, at the same time, Paul has me and it’s so confusing” I rub at my eyes. “I don’t know what I’m doing”

She watches me patiently.

This is the first time I’ve ever truly thought about it. “Like, I just don’t understand how this…big ass love triangle came to be, like, how do you imprint and then somebody imprints on you? It’s just fucking confusing!”

She sighs and leans on the table towards me. “So, okay. If the time came, hypothetically, who would you chose if you had to? Who would you rather be with?”

I exhale and look around. I’m getting worked up. Bring it down. “That’s the thing. I can’t chose. I…I just can’t” It’s hard to even consider choosing either of them. “Emmett’s tried so hard to accept this, this fucked up twist of fate, to make it work. You’ve seen him, Bella, and now-if this-if I had to choose or if he knew…” I let my breath go. “It would break him”

“Yeah…” She slides a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “It could also break you” Her hands slides across the table and holds mine.

I roll my eyes and wipe my face. “Stop. We’re supposed to be out having lunch, not drowning in my sorrows” I laugh abruptly. “I’m alright, I’m cool”

She smiles. “I know, I’m just being supportive”

“I know. Thanks” I smile. “You are literally the best bestfriend in the world”

She smiles back. “And no one on earth could ask for a better best friend than you”

We raise our glasses. “Cheers!”

**Emmett's P.O.V.**

“Hey Emmett, have you seen Rosalie lately?” Esme asks, stepping into the weight room downstairs.

I lift the bench weight over my head. Don’t need to lift weights, but it’s a distraction. “No”

“Oh…” She lingers in the room.

“Something you wanna talk about?” I add another 200 lbs.

She sighs. “Well, I’ve been watching you two for the past few weeks and it just seems like you two are having problems again”

I lift the weights a few more times than sit them down. I sit up and shake my head. “We’re just not on the same page anymore, to be honest. Things are…different than before” I shrug. “I don’t know, we just don’t, well, I’ll speak for myself, but I don’t want anything to do with her anymore”

I can see it takes her back. “Oh, well, do you think you would want to do more counseling? We can find another counselor outside of town?”

I look her in the eyes. “No. Really, we’re done”

She accepts it gradually and nods her head. “Okay, well…you know you can always talk to me…?”

I stand to my feet. “I’m fine, Esme, really. Right now, I’m at a place where I’m discovering new things I never thought were possible to ever pursue. I’m good”

She nods. “Alright” She flashes that motherly smile. “Just know that I love you, I love all of you, and I want all of you to be happy” She places a hand on my face.

“Yeah, I know”

She rubs my shoulder. “Good” She smiles again before she steps out the room and is gone.

I go up to my bathroom and turn on the water. I stand there as the water runs its current down my back and hits the cold floor. I pour shampoo in my hand and watch it roll through my fingers before I lather it up in my hair.

I should tell her, I really should. I know that besides Bella, Edward, Seth and Sam, somebody else knows. Jake's quiet, but he's not full of secrets.

I rinse off and grab a towel folded on top of the shelf.  I dry off quick and drop the towel into the bin and walk out into my room.

My skin sets the room ablaze of color in the setting sunlight. I slip on my briefs, a tank and sweats and head downstairs.

I flick on the TV in the Living Room and fly through the channels. Seen it, seen it, no, hell no, fuck it, no, no, fuck no… I honestly didn't even know SpongeBob still came on.

I hear Alice whirring around in the sunroom downstairs and I go down out of boredom and peek in on her.

There are stacks of papers and wedding books scattered all around the center table, along with a pitcher of ice water and two glasses. There’s a clear bin of miniature colored boxes sitting idly on the floor, and slices of various cakes and cupcakes lined up on the table closest to the window.

On the opposite side of the room sits Alice, legs crossed, flipping through a book. In front of her is her sketch pad. A cake stand sits on the window sill, pipes and plates beside it. Vases of different colored roses, lilacs, daises, tulips, violets and others sit alongside it.

She flips a page and scribbles a few notes. "Something I can do for you?"

I lean against the door frame and shrug. “Can’t I just be the curious seeking brother?”

She looks up and narrows her penetrating gaze. “In your case, no, not too curious” She looks down at the pad and scribbles another note.

I step into the room. "I'm assuming your opening back up your bakery. Haven't seen this stuff in years" I pluck a box out the clear container. It's aquamarine with small, delicate brown trimming, about the size of a rubix cube.

She sighs. "No, not yet. Still searching for a place to open where business would be appreciated and could you please put those down! You know they are very expensive!" She snaps.

I glance back and smirk. I place the boxes back and step over to the cakes. “Touch-y”

From the looks of it and the place cards written in perfect handwriting, there’s a variety of flavors.

There’s a vanilla with whipped icing, chocolate with a German chocolate glaze, blueberry with a lime and berry strip with red velvet icing, a pineapple upside down cake, a strawberry cheesecake, a chocolate and vanilla half and half with icing fused down the middle, and an orange with yellow polka dots and mint.

The cupcakes are lined just as evenly, three to a platter. The one closest to me has a banana nut with walnuts on top, a chestnut raspberry, and a grape mango with sugar shards on top.

My taste buds are begging and I barely eat the stuff.

“Your just asking for it, aren’t you?” She warns from behind me.

“Well, do you mind offering one?” I pick up a plate.

“Nope” The pencil continues to stroke the page. “And I dare you to sneak one. You’ll regret it before you even taste it”

I set it back down, the cake untouched. “Grinch. Who are they for, anyway?” I step back and hop on the window counter and pick up the nearest book.

She goes back to flipping pages. “If you must know, I’m assisting Jacob with picking out a wedding cake for Sam and Emily’s wedding”

Really? I flex my eyebrows. “Ah” I don’t show no reaction whatsoever, none. I flip through a few pages of the book. There’s a cake with an actual fountain of chocolate running down it.

Alice looks to the clock and spins around the room. She unpacks the boxes in the bin and lines them on the table, then sets up the cake stand.

I peek at the sketchpad. There’s a drawing of a tall cake covered in icing with white and purple roses at the base. There’s another one on the next page with “I do” written in silver icing. A howling wolf figurine sits at the top.

“It’s almost time. I suggest you do something with yourself” She sighs as she fluffs the vases of flowers.

I quit flipping. “And why is that?”

Breaks squeak out front as they ease to a stop. There’s a door slamming.

“Because you’ll find a way to mess up something” She says, looking at me pointedly before walking out to the door. “You always do”

“Hm” I feel excited and I know it’s because of him.  

The front door opens. “Hey there” And there’s his thick cheerful voice.

“Why, hello, Jacob, glad you made it on time!” She pauses. “Hey, you’re not coming in?” Must be talking to Bella.

“No, I have to meet Charlie down at the Station. Lost his keys, but I’ll be back to retrieve the goods soon as I’m done”

Alice laughs. “Okay, okay”

“Uh, I’m standing right here” Jake exhales in confusion.

“Anyway, come on in. See you later, Bella!” The horn honks and then the gravels turning and then the engine’s fading. The door shuts. “Okay, so while we do have a lot to discuss, my first question being why in the world did you take so long to contact me?

His footsteps echo the most. “I mean, it was Sam’s move. He wasn’t sure how they were getting the cake until Monday and Bella brought it up that you owned bakeries in the past, so…”

Alice sighs. “Ah, poor planning, but yes, I ran my own wedding shop in Vienna in ’32. Best one the world has ever seen. Anyway,” She walks into the room and spins around to him. “We have work to do, mister”

He walks in after her with his hands in his hoodie pockets – _my_ hoodie pockets – with the hood over his head. Fuck, does he look good. He looks right at me and then fucking smiles.

“Hey, what’s up, man?” He asks. I can see how hard he’s trying not to show any other emotion than just a casual greeting.

I nod him up. “What up” I play it off cool.

His heart flutters for a second before his eyes flicker back to Alice. “I’m listening, though” He looks around the room for the first time. “Wow”

I raise my eyebrows and Alice eyes me. “Emmett, if you’re going to be a distraction, please leave. Otherwise, be quiet” She takes her seat in front of me and pours water for the both of them. “Jake, please” She offers him the seat opposite of her.

He blinks and sits. “Okay, uh…” His eyes continue to wander around to me, but he give his full attention to Alice when she clears her pulls out her papers.

“First off, thank you for utilizing my services and allowing me to be a part of making Sam and Emily’s wedding memorable” She smiles. “It’s really an honor that I could help”

He shrugs with a smile. “No problem, and thank you for meeting with me at such late notice, like really late notice”

She waves it off with a scoff. “No problem. It’s been way too long since I’ve worked on a wedding. Oh, the years…” She giggles and waves it off before she gets carried away. “Anyway, here is the agenda I’ve made for us this evening” She slides a copy of it to him.

“First, you are open to present any ideas of concepts you have for the cake, you know, designs and structure, flavors, etcetera. I’m open for anything you have. Secondly, I will introduce some of my own concepts I’ve crafted and I’ll also present a few samples of wedding and formal event cakes I’ve made in the past, such as the autumn flurry that I made for Carlisle and Esme’s fifteenth vow renewal and the orange illusion I made for the Duchess of France back in the day”

“I also have some wedding books we can look through, some of which are mine and others of the few companies I helped found in the early ‘90’s. Thirdly,” She motions towards the tower of colored cubes on the other end of the table, “I have various color delivery boxes for the cake to be stored in, along with a complimentary vase of flowers of your choice. Towards the end of our session, we will discuss the time and place of delivery or pickup. And that’s about it. Any questions or should I go over it again?”

He shrugs. “Uh, no. Sounds like a plan” He smiles.

She smiles and slides the agenda away. “Alright, let’s begin. Ideas, what do you have in mind for the design? Anything, the icing, how many layers, the color and flavor, anything. I’m all ears” She takes up her note pad and waits patiently, pencil poised in the air like she’s Miranda Presley.

“Uhm…” He thinks it over, eyes focusing on empty space. “Well, I know Emily likes a lot of cake and Sam doesn’t, so I’m guessing something along the lines of medium-ish?” Alice nods. “Like, something everyone can indulge on, but not too much for them?”

Alice writes. “Okay, well, we can do a three based cake, which are three individual cakes stacked on top of each other? The bottom two can be for the reception party and the top will be for the bride and groom” She suggests.

He nods. “Alright, that works”

“Okay, anything else?”

He hesitates. “Uhm, maybe something layered? Maybe be like, uh…I don’t know…”

Alice points over to the cake table. “Well, like I said, we do have some samples you can taste in if you can’t think of anything?”

He looks over to the table. “Okay”

She walks over to the table. “Any particular ones you want to try first?”

He shrugs. “Surprise me” And damn, he looks _too_ good in my hoodie.

She sets down the German chocolate in front of him. He picks up the fork and taste the fudge first before nodding in approval and devouring the cake. The cake disappears off the fork and comes off clean. His lips slide off with the smallest smack. Fuck.

“Mm, it’s good, I like this one”

She nods and collects the plate and sets it aside. “Okay, good. What we’ll now is have you taste them all and then narrow down to the top three”

“Alright” He says, and she slides him another one, the orange with polka dots. He cuts a slice and taste it. He chews slowly and his eyes roll for a second. “Jesus, what? This is really good! Definitely top five”

Alice beams. “Thank you” She slides the rest to him and he just fucking devours them. And that mouth…

He doesn’t like the vanilla and chocolate half and half slice because he makes a face soon as he taste it, but as soon as it comes, it’s gone.

Alice watches with keen eyes. “If you don’t like it, say so, Jake. There’s no penalty for thinking it’s nasty” She sighs.

“Lovely way to treat your first customer in years” I mumble.

She looks at me swiftly, eyes dangerous. “Not another word” I roll my eyes as she focuses back on him.

“No,” He takes a sip and swallows down, his throat bobbing… “It wasn’t that, it was just a very strong taste. Not a fan of dark chocolate”

She nods and the way she looks all worried that those words will destroy her career is funny as hell. She rolls her eyes at me smirking. Jake just smiles between the two of us as he moves on to another slice.

It’s the strawberry cheesecake. It misses his mouth when he lifts his fork and drop onto his lips. He smears it all over his bottom lip and darts his tongue out and licks it up.

It’s fucking mesmerizing. My jaw just relaxes. He looks up at Alice apologetic to which she waves off and then to me with not so apologetic eyes.

Everything after that is torture. He either takes his time licking the fork or cleaning the icing off his lips and fingers. Fucker.

Alice just sighs and hands him a napkin.

He slides his last cupcake away, a red velvet piled high with a sweet cream that he accidentally gets messy with.

He snickers at the hard on I so desperately try to hide through my sweats.

Alice either doesn’t care or doesn’t notice as she moves all the licked clean plates back to the table. “Alright, so what do you think?”

“Well, I really loved the orange one, I think it was like citrus and mint?” Alice nods. “And the cheesecake was really good and so was the blueberry?” Another nod. “Yeah, but…I think the orange and citrus is the winner and I loved the glass sugar. Maybe that could be somewhere, too”

Alice smiles. “Great choice” She jots it down in her notes. “Now, did you want that same sorbet icing or did you want another?”

He bites his lip and I know he’s doing it on purpose. “Well, the color scheme of the wedding is basically white and brown, so maybe the vanilla icing from the vanilla cake could work”

She jots it. “Okay”

He looks at me. “And I liked the, I think it was, caramel in the pineapple upside down cake. Maybe that, too”

The sunlight has moved at just the right angle to catch his caramel eyes.

“Caramel, with orange cake?”

He eyes me. “Yeah, I think it gives a balance to the tangy flavor of the orange with a little sweetness” He blinks back to her and down to his glass. His eyes fall back to me as he takes a gulp.

I wiggle my eyebrows.

“No, it makes perfect sense. You aren’t the first to say anything like that” Alice says, eyeing me out of her peripheral. “Okay, so anything else?

“Hm…” He glances around the room again, eyes caching the flowers around me. “What about…and it may be kinda silly, but some of those yellow rose petals along the top of the cake, like, falling down, and then some lilacs spread around somewhere”

Alice nods and looks back to the vases as well. “It’s not silly at all. I love this cake already” She grins and I know she truly means it. She has the entire thing drawn out already.

“Now, since you’ve chosen the cake flavor and design, did you still wanna look through the books or are you pretty set on your decision?”

He downs the glass. “Uhm, nah, I think I’m set, if that’s cool?”

She waves him off again. “No, its fine, it’s fine. Now, our final step is the delivery process” She gestures him to the other end of the table. “Choose three, one for each base”

He studies the small boxes. He plucks two cream and chocolate boxes and one with the opposite pattern and hands them to Alice. “Sticking to the color scheme and all”

“Yeah, I understand. Everything has to be in sync, gotcha” She jots it. “And do you want it delivered or picked up?”

“Delivered, but can I call you later about the place and time? I gotta get up with Sam after this and find out where I can store it”

“Yeah, yeah, sure” She nods and then walks past me to the flowers. “Alright, so here are your choice of complimentary flowers, you can pick and choose whatever you want” She folds her hands at her waist, feet together.

“Uhm…” He walks over and stands close enough to me that I can feel his body heat, but far enough not to cause suspicion.

The heat radiating off his skin, the heart beat flooding my ears. I look elsewhere and avoid pulling him close and-

“Well, what do you think, Emmett?” He inclines his head to me, eyes still examining the flowers.

I inhale and look over the vases. “Well, I think since your entire color scheme is white and brown, maybe stick with some tuberoses and daffodils, and maybe a lily or lilac, possibly turn them into a bouquet for the cake table. I don’t know, something like that”

He shrugs and then turns back to Alice. “What he said”

She cuts her eyes away from me. “Okay, just so we’re clear to go. You are getting a three base orange and citrus cake and caramel with whipped icing, along with yellow roses and lilacs casually strewn about. Sound correct?”

He nods slowly. “Yeah, that sound right” He scratches his head. “Uhm, is it possible I can get some of the red velvet cupcakes and the apple strudels?”

Alice shrugs. “I don’t see why not” She steps back over to the table and slides another set of papers over. “Now last, but certainly not least is the documentation. Just forms to verify everything was done in order and so on” She hands him a pen.

“Okay” He leans over onto the table, and his shirt rides up his back.

“Do me a favor and sign here, here, and here”

He signs his signature steadily. “Okay, no blood oath or anything?”

She rolls her eyes and takes the forms and holds out her hand. “Nice doing business with you, Mr. Black”

He smiles and she shakes her hand with a wince. “And thank you for your services, Mrs. Cullen”

“No problem” She nods, starting to straighten up. In a whirlwind, the room is reset to order. All her materials and things are set aside neatly in the corner. Alice adjust her shirt and looks around the room pleased.

He wobbles dizzily and I reach out and hold his arm. He flashes a coy smile, thankful. His skin makes my fingers tingle. “So how much does everything cost?” He digs in his pocket.

Alice looks at him and then exhales. “Ugh, humans” She places her hands on his shoulders. “Jacob, you asked me for a favor and that is exactly what you get”

“But-” He begins, wallet out.

I chuckle quietly. It's cute. “Dude, you don’t even want to know how much it cost, trust me”

He slips the wallet back in his pocket. “Okay”

Alice smiles. “Just count yourself lucky that I like you” She turns to go. “And don’t forget to call me tonight. I’ll start working in a few minutes, so everything should be ready by 7’o’clock tonight”

“Uhm, okay. I’ll call as soon as I get in” He shrugs.

“Alright!” She walks out of the room and a second later, the kitchen is stirring. I can smell the eggs and flower and oranges from here.

He stares after her. “Gotta admit, that went way better than I thought it would” He turns to me, eyes bright and full of the evening sun.

“Heard that!” Alice says. He smiles.

“Yeah, she’s cool…” Our look is intense, but I try and be smart about it. Alice is in the other room. He takes a step towards me, but I step aside. “Well, what time is Bella coming back for you?

His eyebrows shift in confusion. “Uhm, I guess she should be on her way, soon…” His eyes flit to his watch and back up to me.

I nod and step past, careful not to touch him. “C’mon, walk you out”

He just stands there with his eyebrows raised. “Uh, okay…?” He shakes it off and walks behind me. “Thanks again, Alice!” He says as we pass the Kitchen.

“You’re welcome!” She leans out into the hall. “Don’t forget to call me!”

“I won’t!” He says.

I walk out first and he closes the door behind him. “Are you-?”

I push him back against the door and press up against him. “Don’t fucking do me like that again, or so help me God…” My voice is a dangerous growl, hopefully low enough for Alice not to hear.

The realization dawns on him and he fucking grins. “Didn’t think you noticed” His hand traces up my arm, leaving a trail of fire.

“Bullshit” My eyes fall to his lips and the fucker just happens to lick at them. Fuck.

His hands are sliding over my shoulders now. “What’re you gonna do about it…” He leans in, voice dark and husky, licks at the corner of my mouth. “Hm?”

Shit’s got my head spinning. My grip on him strengthens and he hisses. “You know what you’re asking for…”

His eyelashes flutter and our noses brush. He leans forward into me, but I hold him back against the door. His eyes flash and then our lips are clashing.

It’s so quick and intense, but I want this and the way he’s fighting to pull me closer screams I want this _and_ some. The begging moan he breathes forces me to stop.

I catch my breath and shake my head. “Not here…” I pull back from his heat and glance inside. I can hear Alice still bustling around in there. I step to the side and lean on wall.

“You’ve got to stop doing that to me” He groans, adjusting his clothes and running a hand through his hair.

The gravel turns down the driveway and here comes Bella. She’s driving slow and talking to Renee, but she’ll be here soon.

He’s rubbing his face when I grab him by his waist and pull him on me. He bites his lip and glances behind me into the house. “What if she sees?”

I don’t take my eyes off him. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

He licks his lips and rests his weight on me. “I’ve got the wedding in the morning, but that’s it…” His fingers stroke my ear.

“I’ll be coming past…” I mumble, hands on his thighs. “I want my jeep”

He smiles and glances back to Bella’s approaching rust bucket. “Come get it then…” He leans in and then before our lips touch, he’s stepping away and down the stairs.

“Tease”

He spins on his heel with laugh. “Oh, now I’m the one who’s a tease”

It causes me to grin as Bella comes to a top out front. She waves as she talks on the phone. He walks over and gets in with a glance my way. Bella U-turns it and then heads back out.

I watch them drive off and then go back inside.

Fuck, tomorrow can’t come fast enough.

**Paul's P.O.V.**

“Yo, J, they here yet?” I shout from the bathroom. I look at my face, wash my hands and dip out.

He’s shaking his head when I get out on the porch. “Nah, man. Don’t seem them, yet” He takes a swig of his beer and passes it to Embry.

“Fuck” It’s almost 8:20, they should be here by now.

The fireflies are out tonight, making the trees look like their decorated in Christmas lights.

“I’m so fucking ready to go right now” Embry says. He’s already wasted.

"Me too" Seth says, yawning and sprawling back on the porch.

“Hey, you just be lucky that you’re even going” I say.

He rolls his eyes in retaliation. “Why don’t you just fuck off?”

“Shit, all that begging and whining you did almost made us say no” Quill jokes.

He exhales heavily. “Fuck you, I wasn’t begging or whining”

“Bull shit, you were” Embry chips in.

“Fuck you” Seth sighs.

“You totally were” Jared speaks up, finishing off the bottle and cracking open another one.

"Definitely fuck you" Seth mumbles, eyes closed.

“Well, you’re the one that’s bitching” Jared replies, chugging the bottle. Seth opens his eyes and gives him a death glare. Shit.

Quill looks back and forth between the two of them. “I’m sorry, Houston, but did somebody say rockets launched?”

“Do I feel some shade?” Embry pokes Seth in the gut.

He swats his hand away immediately and sits up. “Whatever”

Jared says not one word and pretends to study the bottle. Whatever the fuck that means.

The trees move in the dark out of the corner of my eye and here comes Sam, the moon illuminating his body.

“Finally!” I shout.

“Took you long enough!” Embry hops up.

“Damn and I thought you were getting cold feet all of a sudden” Quill adds. Fucking these two. They all crowd him, but he shrugs them all off. He looks up to me.

“Paul…” His expression is monotone and tired and hella suspicious.

“Hey, don’t blame me” I shrug coolly and walk out towards him. “We just thought that it would be nice to go out and have some fun tonight, seeing it as being your last night being the lone wolf and all!” The guys chime in.

Sam smiles just a little, but it fades. “Guys, thanks, but I’m really tired, long day at work and…”

“Bullshit!” Jared hollers, throwing his arm over his shoulders.

Sam narrows his gaze and Jared promptly removes his arm. “Nah, I’m serious…” He looks at us all, but zones in on Seth.

“Hey, it wasn’t me” He automatically spits. “I’m just along for the ride”

“You should be in bed” Sam replies, stepping past us and onto the porch. Seth ducks his head a little and ignores the look we all give him.

“Aw, c’mon, Sam!” Embry whines. “It’s the night before the big day, live a little!”

Sam exhales as he passes. “I know, but not tonight, guys. Sorry”

Jake pulls up in his truck. I wrap my arm around Sam’s shoulder and spin him back around. He flows with me surprisingly. “Listen. It’s the night before you get hitched, man. You need to get out and let loose for one night of your life, and not sit in the house bored out of your mind”

He flares his nostrils. “Paul, I’m-”

“Definitely going, right?” Jake asks, getting out. “Is that what I heard?”

I grin. Sam rolls his eyes and shrugs me off. “I need to get my mind ready for tomorrow, why is that so hard to understand?”

Jake sighs and holds out his hands. “See, that’s the thing, you can still do that, we all can think things over and all that good jazz. We’re just going out for some drinks, we won’t be out long” He meets my gaze. “Right?”

“Exactly. We’ll hit a bar, maybe a club, have some drinks, just go out on the town” I throw in.

Sam looks at each and every one of us.

Jared raises his eyebrows, drunk out of his mind already. “YOLO, right?”

Sam just inhales and scratches his head. “Just drinks, huh?” He asks with a dry look.

We got him. I can feel the smile tugging on Jake’s lips.

“Yeah, I mean, sure, there may or not be some type of special effect added as the night progress, but hey, what can we say? It’s your bachelor party, we’re partying like wolves tonight!” The slick grins spread around.

Sam sighs. “Alright, let me just change my shirt” He grumbles, walking inside. Jake and I dap it up.

Embry whoops. "That's what I'm talking about!"

“Shotgun!” Seth dashes to the car.

“Definitely not” Jake says.

Sam walks back out with a fresh brown t-shirt and jeans. “A strip club better not be on the agenda, you two” He eyes both of us on either side of him. “I’m serious”

“Just relax, man. We got you” Jake grins, walking to the driver’s side.

Sam sighs. “Fine” He gets in on the passenger side. Embry and Jared are on the first row, Seth and Quill in the back.

Jake twirls the keys in his hands. "Twenty says tonight ends up in flames"

“Thirty says your wrong”

He looks at me and there’s that smile of his and those eyes that reflect the moonlight like mirrors.

He holds out his hand. "You win, I got you. I win, you got me" An eyebrow raises.

I get the double meaning behind his words. I take his hand and grin. "Deal" And that's how our night begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re down to the last two chapters of this story. I know some of you will be sad to see it go, but trust me, you’ll love every word. It's been a fun journey, but it's not over yet, so roll with me just a little bit longer! :)


	20. Vows

“Sam!” I jog up the porch steps and into the house. “Sam! C’mon, man, where you at? We gotta go!”

“In here” His voice booms from the bedroom.

I cradle the small plastic container behind my back and walk in. “Oh, dude. We gotta go like now”

He stands in front of the mirror on the wall. He turns to me slowly. “Well…?” He says with an exhale. His hair is freshly combed and trimmed. His white shirt and his brown shorts are ironed out and his brown converses are squeaky clean. “What do you think…?”

I inhale and run my eyes down him. “I’d marry you, man…” I wiggle my eyebrows. “And I’m not saying that because I’m still a bit hungover from last night, either. True shit”

He rolls his eyes and laughs. “Me too, thanks for that by the way” He turns back to the mirror.

"I'm serious, man, you look really good" And he does.

He nods as his eyes skim over his clothes for any faults. His fingers smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles that only he sees. He inhales deeply and runs a shaky hand through his hair and exhales and combs it back out.

There's something in his expression and fidgety movements, a notion that lies just below his demeanor. It seems out of place, foreign for him and that's deep.

"You're nervous…"

He sighs and rubs his face. "Yeah…" He groans. "Is that a bad thing?"

It's a first. "No, man, you'll be fine. I'd actually be a bit worried if you weren't…" I ease the orange rose from my back. "Especially without this"

He scrunches his eyebrows at it. "What is-?"

"A gift from Alice, okay and before you object to it, think of it as a uhm, a gift or think of it as another guest that presumably never got their invitation"

He eyes it coldly. "An uninvited guest that doesn't match with anything in case you haven't noticed"

"Clearly you haven't. I see brown, white and russet colored skin. Of course it matches" I hold it out. "My sisters taught me well" He steps over with a grunt. "Don't flinch"

He glares but stands still as I pin it. I catch his wandering gaze. "Sam, you're going to be fine. Chill out"

He breathes through his nose, jaw clenching. "I'm just-I see so many scenarios, things that can go wrong and I can't-"

"Okay, whoa, no. I'm stopping you right there" I grip his shoulders. He's tense. "Suck it up and relax. I am not going to let you work yourself up" I look back and forth between his irises. "Today is your wedding day, okay? You are getting married to an amazing woman and not only is she a blessing to everyone, she is your imprint, your destined mate for all eternity through thick and thin, through hell and high water" He inhales a shaky breath. "It's meant to be, Sam. Everything will be fine, I promise"

His eyes focus on mine. "Yeah…thanks" I drop my hands away and adjust the collar of his shirt. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Jake, really"

"Well, for one, you'd be late" I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s 10:13. "Which will definitely be the case since your wedding starts in twenty minutes”

He looks back. "Shit" He zips to the mirror, does another quick check and begins to push me out the door, barely slamming it shut.

"I'll be damned if I'm the first best man in history to ever make the groom late" I say once we fall into a jog.

"Yeah" He chuckles as we go. "You will definitely suck for that"

It's silent for a bit, just the sound of our feet reverberating off the trees and empty space. We slow to cross the street onto the field leading up to meadow.

"How's Emmett, by the way?" He asks randomly out of the blue.

It knocks me completely off guard and makes me stumble. "Uhm…" The trees seem to grow a little quieter. "He's uh…he's cool, uhm, yeah, he's alright"

I see him nod outside of my peripheral. "And…how are things with Paul? Still going strong?"

I hesitate to a stop. "He's fine. Why are you asking these questions now, today, of all days?"

He's quiet. "I was curious"

"Oh" I start to walk. "Paul and I are good, great, actually"

He nods again. "I'm assuming you haven't told either of them about each other, have you?"

It doesn't even feel like a question, more of an accusation. It strikes me to silence. Where is this coming from?

"Jacob…" It's his Alpha tone and my entire being can't help by rumble with obedience. I turn his way. "I'm not judging and I'm not angry, I'm just purely curious" His face is softer than usual.

"I…" My shoulders rise in a failed attempt of a shrug. "I just don't…know how" My eyes wander. "It's hard even thinking about it, because I know, no matter what I do, someone will get hurt in the end and I just…I can't deal with that”

He swallows and nods thoughtfully. "Well, we'll work it out together, okay?" A small supporting smile graces his lips. "You are always here for me and I'll always be here for you" His holds his fist out.

I nod weakly. "Yeah…always" I bump him back.

His sighs. "Now, let's go before we're late and smile, shit. I'm getting married!" He grins, an actual grin, bright white teeth, dazzling and all and takes off running. "Let's go!"

I chase after him just to see the leaves stir from where he ran up the hill and into the meadow.

I slow and take in the decorations leading up the path. Long, even cream ribbons run on both sides of the walkway and white rose petals are strewn here and there. There's a sign printed on a poster board tacked to the closest tree:  _Uley-Young wedding this way._

It's neat, but clearly Seth's idea. "It's not bad, though" I pace up to the top.

Fifteen tables, ten round, three long and two in a circle sit idly in the midst of the partly shaded clearing. Cream table clothes ripple quietly in the warm summer morning breeze. Mrs. Charlotte and Miss Grady are bustling around food and utensils.

I walk around, my fingers grazing the porcelain plates and rims of the plastic champagne glasses. The knives and forks are freshly polished and neatly set apart next to a folded chocolate colored napkin on each plate. The whole ensemble sits in front of a cream dressed chair. I glance up at the head table shaped in a large cream dressed horseshoe with a single brown strip running around the top of the cloth.

Beyond the reception and through the parted trees sits the ceremony area adorned with white chairs, divided down the middle in a wide gap. Emily's white lace carpet runs down to an all-white wire arch and alter laced blooming with lilacs and white roses. Lining the sides of the chairs are small white baskets brimming with more white rose petals.

There's already friends and family occupying the seats, Sam Sr. in the first row and the elders behind him including Dad. Sam sits with them, face serious but still soft and kind. More people file in from the side entrance into the clearing leading up from the back field make-shifted into a parking lot.

On the opposite side of the reception area by the entrance is another long table with food and utensils. Four of the six metal sterns are already put to use, the flames below keeping the food piping hot. Four empty coolers sit side by side a foot away from the table.

I inhale. Definitely chicken and Mrs. Margaret's beef cubes… Another small table sits idly off to the side with only a table cloth. Cake table.

Beyond the wedding clearing and the reception area is a white tent set aside emitting Rachel's giggles, Emily's hushed and excited voice and Becca's sarcastic tone.

"Jaaaaaay-cuuuuub" Seth drags out, walking up.

I turn to him. "What it do, bro-bro?" We fist bump.

He shakes his head, looking around. "Nada" He inhales deeply. "You like everything?"

I shrug. "Yeah, it looks really good, man. You guys did a great job"

He smiles proudly. "Yeah, well, Becca told us where to put everything and Rachel did the décor and stuff. Gosh, I forgot how demanding they could be" He groans.

"That's what New York does to you. Where's everybody else, by the way?"

"Carrying shit he was supposed to help out with…" Jared growls as he stalks past with two steaming aluminum pans. "Shit's hot as fuck" He drops them onto the table and immediately starts to fan his arms.

Seth rolls his eyes. "I said I was coming back, nobody told you to just grab and go"

"Yeah, so much for that" He replies, grabbing a bottle of water and pouring it onto his steaming skin.

"Guys…not today" I say. “Definitely not here”

Jared walks off. "Whatever" He mumbles.

Seth eyes follow with a look of disgust or hatred. Maybe both or something else entirely.

"You guys gotta kiss and makeup, really" He gives me a look. "I'm serious, you gotta pull it together"

He cuts his eyes away. "Whatever. I didn't do anything to him. He's been going since he walked in the door"

Paul, Embry and Quill walk up with bags of ice in each hand. Paul balances two pans in one hand, his white shirt slung over his bare shoulder and ice in the other.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Seth. You just gotta make it work for the both of you" I push him towards them. "But first, help out"

Paul drops everything on the table. "Why the fuck didn't you help?" He glares. "We needed you" He steps over to Seth's personal space.

Seth shifts his weight. "I was coming back…" He says sheepishly. He reaches for a bag of ice.

Embry buts in. "Oh, no. Don't bother helping now. We only just walked from your steep ass basement and up like six hills to get here. Thanks a lot, buddy. Really appreciate it" Chipper sarcasm.

Seth doesn't even touch the bag and turns in one swift movement. "Alright, fuck you, then”

"Cry baby" Quill mutters.

I sigh. "Aye, ease up" Embry rolls his eyes and turns back to the table. "He's still a kid"

"Your excuse, every time" Quill mutters.

Embry nods. "Exactly.

Paul looks back at him before turning back. "Hey"

"Hey" I say. His face is set into his usual glare, eyes hot as coals. He pulls the shirt off his shoulder and slips it on, his chest sweaty.

"You okay?"

He shakes his head with a shrug and inhales. "He acts like he's a fucking five year old and doesn’t know how to do shit" He exhales. "Like, he walked off knowing damn well we needed his help" He buttons up his shirt with a shake of his head. "I swear…"

"It's really not that serious. You gotta stop letting little stuff get to you"

He looks at me. "Yeah…" He exhales. He takes a moment to do another button before looking around. "How you think we did?"

"Eh, it looks great" I throw him a peripheral glance. "Of course, I could have done better, but you know, to each his own" I say, trying to ease his mood.

He glances up, lips in a growing playful smirk. "You wish" He smoothes out his shirt. "I mean, we had Becca and Rachel do the center pieces and placements and stuff" I see his eyes drift amidst the tables. He looks at me, suddenly uncertain. "You think it's too much"

I shake my head. "No, nah, it looks good, they'll love it"

He licks his teeth and clicks his tongue all the while staring. "Uhuh" He loops up his belt.

I eye him, seeing the exact spots where the shirt sticks to his skin. His grey boxers hug his hips loosely as he pulls on his belt.

He scoffs softly, catching my eye. "I'm all for it right now" He teases. His eyes sparkle in lust.

I exhale. "You don't know how tempting that is" Especially here.

He takes a step closer. Close enough if I wanted to feel, far enough to still look normal. "We'll only be gone a few minutes…" His voice grows deeper, warmer against my skin.

"Paul, we can't…" I push him back gently. He exhales, eyes elsewhere.

I see one of the fabric walls billow and out steps Becca in a long cream gown, her hair tied in a loose bun. She scans the area, eyes locking on me and waves me over.

"We'll have to pursue this topic later" I say, running my hands down his chest. Rachel walks out as well.

He rolls his caramel eyes. "You damn skippy" He says, catching my hand.

It's tempting not to lean in and kiss him, but Becca whistles my name. I drag my hand over his chest, thumbing his nipple through his shirt and down to his hand.

A repressed noise rumbles from his chest before he runs his hand through his hair. "Definitely later"

A scoff rolls off my tongue as I walk over to Becca.

She stares, a light smile on her face. Rachel sticks her head back into the tent and then disappears completely.

"Yes, your majesty…"

She shakes her head. "We're about to start, but uhm…" She looks over to Paul and then back to me. "You guys look really great together"

A corner of a smile forms. "Thanks…? That's a lot coming from you"

She ignores that and stares at him and I follow her gaze. "Yeah…you guys are cute together. And I'm not saying that because we used to date where he was a total deuce bag, by the way or as you know. Nothing's changed"

He stands over by the food, talking to Mrs. Grady, his hand sneaking onto the pan of fried chicken. Without even batting an eye, she smacks it away with a metal spoon. He laughs it off just barely and with another threat, backs off. I can see the way his jaw locks that he's pissed.

"But uh…I can see you make him happy and he does the same for you and yeah, I'm happy for you two" She gives me a smile.

"Aw" I lean in for a hug. "Thanks, B"

"Mhm" She sighs. "Now, let go before you murder my makeup. I worked hard on this" She runs a quick manicured nail under her eye.

A typical Alice move. "Yeah, yeah…"

She touches up her bun and smoothes out her dress.

"You look amazing, by the way" I say tenderly. I can see now her dress has little crystal beads sewn in at her chest and waist.

She smiles. "Thanks and I know you only said it because I complemented first, but no biggie. I’ll take what I can get" She fakes a hair toss.

I roll my eyes. "Shady"

Paul saunters up, rubbing his hand. He arches an eyebrow. "What?"

Becca shakes her head. "Oh, nothing, Paulie" Rachel steps out with a huff. "Nothing at all"

He narrows his eyes and steps past me, hand running over my arm and squeezing gently.

Rachel sighs. "I must say, that is maybe the cutest thing I've ever seen"

I exhale, covering my face. "Please don't make this any awkward than it already is"

She smiles. "Pull it together, drama king" She spins around, her dress flowing behind her. "B, dress, hair and makeup check"

Becca pulls her hair loosely around her shoulders, a simple style and smoothes out her dress in the back. "Spin" Rachel turns and they go through the procedure again and switch places.

Paul rests his chin on my shoulder. "I swear…"

I glance at him. "Hm…?"

He shakes his head as gentle as he can. "Your sisters…" He leans up and pecks my lips. They turn up just the slightest and I peck him back. I glance around. Nobodies paying us any mind.

"Saw that" Becca chimes.

"Heard that" Rachel adds.

"Stop" I say. Paul huffs a laugh and Becca raises her eyebrows

"Priceless" Rachel sighs.

I hear a giggle and turn to see Claire running into Quill arms. He throws her up in the air and catches her with his ear-to-ear grin. Embry smiles at Haley, Emily's sister and her mother, Hannah as he embraces her.

"Fashionable entrance" Rachel mutters. "Next season Dolce and Gabbana's Stella McCartney bag, Nina Richie shoes and Michael Kors dress..."

"Or gold digging" Paul says, rubbing his chin. "Didn't think they'd actually come"

"It's her mother and sister, why wouldn't they?" Becca adds, smiling as they walk over. "Besides, I'm still stuck on the shoes, though. Owe, girl, I didn't tell you what she wore at Mercedes-Benz week?" She asks Rachel as Haley comes running up and then it’s all smiles. "Hey girl!”

"Yeah, would've been great if they made it in time to help out with things" I grit through my teeth. "Hannah!" She dramatically falls out as she hugs me. I hold my breath against the shower of old perfume that still stays in my personal space after she eases off and quickly moves onto Paul.

"Wow! How are you boys? Well, men, now, Jesus, you've guys have grown taller!" I can't help but blush. She takes a step back and raises her eyebrows, "…bigger and stronger, too" She squeezes my biceps and pats Paul's. "Bet the girls are all swooning over you too now, huh?" Her smile is cougar-ish, her teeth bright, almost as bright as the white straw hat and sleeveless dress that she sports that stops just below her knees.

I continue smiling. "Yeah, we've been working out a little, but how are you?" Paul says, crossing his arms, presumably before she starts to poke his abs.

She shrugs. "I'm good, I'm good, I'm late" She laughs softly. "And I do apologize for that, Jacob. You know traffic is not what it used to be, especially in Vancouver. I do hope my absence wasn't too much of an inconvenience to you all because I really did want to be here on last Thursday"

Inconvenient? Of course it was! "No, no, its fine. We got everything done at a reasonable time. They're getting married with no complaints and no worries"

She sighs. "Yeah?" I can see she's going to be that one person that goes overboard. She reminds me of Allison Janney, just a few shades darker with the bright eyes and all.

"Yeah, we have everything covered. Decorations, flowers, etcetera" Paul chimes. I can hear the undertone in his voice.

She doesn't. She inhales and exhales reassured. "Good, okay, good" She look past us then and all of a sudden, the act starts all over. "Oh my god, Rebecca and Rachel! I haven't seen you two in ages!" She bustles past us, arms wide and accidently steps on Paul's foot.

He inhales sharply and bites his lip.

"Uhm…" I don't even know how to ask.

"I'm just…super" He mumbles, inspecting his foot. I rub his shoulder as Haley materializes.

"Wow, you…" She hesitates on Paul, who smiles cordially and looks off. "Guys look…great" She smiles, brushing a hair out of her hazel eyes.

"Nice to see you, too. Looking beautiful as always, I see you, fresh off the runway" I smile as we hug. The texture of her fitted dress feels expensive and she smells like marinated rose water.

She sucks her teeth and grins. "Well, you know me. Been doing some modeling for Vogue for a couple months now, keeping up with the fashion trends, you know" She waves it off like its nothing. The perfect Regina George attitude.

"Oh, cool. Bring anything back for me?" I raise my eyebrows and arms inviting.

She beams. "I did, actually. I have a few things for you guys in the car. I didn't know who would show so I brought some different things, a few items from the new collection in the fall, some accessories. You'll love it, trust me"

"I bet" I smile.

She returns the favor and turns her attention back on Paul. "Hey" Her smile is quick and reserved, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Hi, how are you?" His voice is flat and desert dry. He doesn't even put on a front.

"I'm good and you?" She brushes another hair away and behind her ear.

He shrugs. "I'm good" They stare at each other awkwardly.

"Haley? Haley! Oh, there you are. C'mon, let's go peek in on Emily before they start" Hannah starts to march off to the tent.

"I'm coming!" She looks back to Paul. "Well, I gotta go, you know…but it was nice seeing you" She says nostalgically.

His lips form a line as he nods. "Yeah, you too"

She smiles faintly and glances back to me before she walks after Hannah.

Old flames die hard, I guess.

"You guys!" Emily starts when they walk in. "Oh, Mom-oh, no, please don't cry. Mom, c'mon, Mom…"

"Oh, I'm just…I'm sorry, honey. You just look so beautiful! Your father would be so happy if you could see you now. You look absolutely beautiful" She sniffles loudly. "Oh, Emily…"

"You look amazing, Em! I love the dress and the hair, oh Em, the hair is everything!" Haley says.

I see Becca roll her eyes. "Extra"

"Thanks, honey. Oh, Mom…" There's a flash. "Okay, Mom, no. We'll have plenty of time to take more pictures afterwards, okay?" Flash. "Mom, please. Go grab your seats, we're starting in a few minutes"

"Oh, okay, okay-Oh, sweetie…Oh, George would be so proud. So proud of you!" Hannah says as she walks out. She pulls out a handkerchief from her brown handbag of wonders and dots her eyes before her mascara runs.

"Keep an eye on her, please" Emily says just before Haley walks out.

"Always" She says, blowing a kiss behind her as she walks behind Hannah, dotting her own eyes. She flashes a brief smile as she passes.

I watch Sam's face light up as they walk in and exchange hugs and kisses. His eyes flash to me as they go to their seats. Everyone’s here now.

I whistle over to Quill, Claire and Embry who sit at a table and wave them over. Quill tosses Claire up on his shoulders and airplanes his way over. Embry steps to the edge of the hill and snaps his fingers and catches Claire's miniature flower basket in his palms from Seth who walks up followed by Jared and his camera.

I step away from the group. Embry passes the basket to Quill who hands it to Claire with a reminder of what she has to do. Seth pulls the rings from his shirt pocket with an exhale and takes his place in front of them. Becca and Paul stand together while Embry takes his place next to Rachel. Jared is already snapping photos.

I smile for one and make eye contact with Mrs. Joyce on the keyboard and she slowly begins to play The Walk.

"Chins up, Smiles on!" Becca quotes.

I shake my head as Sam takes his place at the altar in front of the Pastor. As everyone begins to turn, I catch a glimpse of Dad smiling proudly in the front, Sue on his right and the Elder's behind them.

**Paul's P.O.V.**

I count ten beats after Jake's first step and Becca and I begin to walk. Cameras flash then, an iPhone or two in the crowd held up high to record. Jared’s always a few steps ahead of us to the side snapping pics.

I glance around, meeting reflecting smiles and awestruck eyes. I see Harper Jr. mouth,  _I told you so!_

I raise my eyebrows and focus on Sam and Jake: The best men in the world.

Becca's grip on my arm tenses as she slightly stumbles. Our grins can't get any wider than that.

We stop in front of Sam and face each other and with a bow, cast off in our separate ways. I take my place behind Jake who smiles as I pass.

"You did great" He whispers without looking my way.

"Easy for you. She's such a klutz" I reply.

Rachel and Embry go by nice and steady. They're nothing but smiles as they part ways.

Seth takes a breath before he walks, his hands held behind his back. His face beams as he sways to the rhythm of the music before coming to a stop just off to Sam's side and a little in front of Jake, who rubs his shoulder comfortingly. "You did a great job"

He huffs. "Yeah right"

There's a series of giggles and everyone turns to see Claire skip down the aisle with her basket of white rose petals followed by a blushing Quill. Awes roll around, the loudest being Haley and Ms. Hannah who snap their candid's with pride. "That's my baby!" Haley whoops. "And my grandbaby!" Hannah follows up. At the altar, Quill scoops her up in his arms and plants a big kiss on her cheek before pointing her towards the rear and she bows.

The petals are still drifting slowly as Emily comes into view and everyone stands to attention. The melody of the song changes to something enchanting as she takes her cautious first step.

She looks…I don't even think there are words for it. Her face is misted by a white veil that splays over her bare shoulders as well as her hair that flows down her back. Her dress begins at her chest, bright white against warm caramel. A single brown strips runs along her waist as the dress billows behind her, stopping just above her white shoes.

"Oh, George...I wish you were here to see..." Hannah sniffles aloud, dotting her eyes. Hayley rubs her back as she smiles with tears running down her own cheeks. Emily hesitates for a split second before continuing on, tears beginning to stream down her face, her touch of makeup running.

I catch Sam's teary eyed grin. It's a first ever to see him cry and smile.

Emily stops in front of him and they exchange nervous, yet determined smiles as they take each other's hand and turn towards the pastor.

Everyone sits in unison as he begins. "Dear Family and Friends. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Samuel Levi Uley and Emily Annabelle Young. This marriage, though destined by fate, is a solemn union to be held in honor by all, family and friends alike as well as the respect of the community" Someone adds an amen to that.

"It requires the full responsibility of giving one's self to another and is not to be entered into lightly as marriage is a sincere and mutual commitment to loving one another. This bond symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives and enhances the individuality of each of you as you travel life's journey together. The Bride and Groom have both requested to say their own vow's on this morning, to which they may do so now" He takes a step back and it's deathly silent.

Emily and Sam smile shyly and she inhales, prepared. "I guess I'll go first" He says, eyes locked on the love of his life. There's a chuckle or two.

"Emily…when I first met you, I…I didn't know what to think, to be honest" He smiles shakily. "I walked into Sue's living room with…Leah and there you were: This…lighthouse, this…beacon of hope in the midst of my darkness that I couldn't find myself out of…" He pauses to clear his throat. "You became…" He hesitates, eyes closed and when he opens them again, there's tears. "You were the earth that gravitated me in like a falling star…you pulled me towards you and no matter what you said or tried to do or how far I tried to run, I couldn't leave you…It wasn't until later I found out what happened when I met you that everything began to make sense and all the pieces came together…"

Tears begin to roll down his cheek. "…You are my imprint. You are my soul mate. You are my bestfriend and you are my heart" He inhales a shaky breath, tears rolling down his cheeks. "You are my destiny, my best friend, a mother to my pack and brothers and much, much more than you will ever know" He smiles now. "I love you, Emily Annabelle Young and I've been so ready to spend my life with you"

She barely holds it together. She inhales one shaky breath and shakes her head, eyes closed. She's determined to keep it together. Ms. Lisa throws a "That's alright, baby. God is good, that's alright!" out there and snaps a pic. Another chuckle rolls through the crowd and Sam like a shiver.

"Sam…" She looks him in the eyes, her small smile slipping instantaneously. "I love you, first and foremost" She shakes her head again. "I always have, even when I thought you were a creep, stalking me every few seconds on the beach…" She huffs a laugh as everyone even as Sam cheeks turn just the slightest shade of pink.

She composes herself. "But I have and I will never stop loving you…" She holds his eyes for a moment then closes them and when she opens them again, the floodgates break. "I…I'm just…so blessed to be with you, to have met you, even when things were different…" She hesitates and glances through the crowd longingly.

We all know she searches for. She sighs. "But you've been there endlessly and…I couldn't ask for it any other way…" She wipes a tear away. "I can't wait till spend the rest of my life with you, Samuel Uley and beyond that" She takes a trembling breath. "I love you"

It's silent for a few seconds as the pastor steps forward. "That was beautiful…" He says affectionately. "The best wedding I've seen in all my days. Take note of this love for it is true and soul deep, a true gift from the Lord" His eyes glisten ever so slightly. "Sandra would be so proud of you, Sam and so would George, Emily”

Emily holds it in. I can see it all in her expression. All the pain and grief, sadness and absence they both feel. Sam never looks away from her, his eyes gushing.

He gives them a moment as more cameras flash and he straightens up. "Now, do we have the rings?" And, God, do I hate that question. Of course we do!

Seth smiles at Sam and Emily as they look his way and return the favor. He hands the rings over and steps back in his original stance. He and Jake exchange a glance and look on.

I feel myself smile.

Sam slides the silver band along her finger and she does the same for him. Their hands never break apart.

The preacher smiles at them. "And with the power invested in me, I hereby declare you Husband and Wife, Soulmates with a like heart, Imprints eternally. Samuel, you may kiss your Bride"

Sam glides in and they share their first kiss as a married couple. We explode in applause and grins. Somewhere in the midst, Ms. Joyce picks back up on the keyboard as they step down and walk down the aisle.

The rose petal baskets are put to use after all as petals start to rain down on the grinning couple. Jake walks behind them after a few steps then Seth. Becca and I link up and follow them out.

We storm them. "Congratulations, guys!" Hugs are passed around left and right. Emily is spun into the crowd, her hand never leaving his. Kisses fly, grins, pictures flash, everything.

At some point, Emily is spun away into the circle of women, but not before giving her husband another kiss. Everyone croons over it, awes and whoops spreading like wildfire.

Sam Sr. walks up and hugs Sam who smiles. Elder Ennis follows up and clasps a hand on Sam's shoulder to which he nods. He begins to walk away, his silent eyes hunting around and then locking on me. His stare is cold, indifferent, and hostile.

I nod his way out of respect and he turns and continues on, followed by Elder Inez and Elder Poey. They throw another glance back at me as they disappear through the trees, already talking amongst themselves.

That was…weird.

Jake appears with fading smile from another conversation. "You okay?" His expression changes.

I shake off the feeling. "Yeah, I'm good"

He smiles again and looks out among the crowd. "Cool turn out, huh"

"Best I ever seen" I reply.

"Yeah…"

I catch Sam's expression as Emily rejoins him and they share another kiss. He grins, all teeth until it slowly begins to slide off his face as he stares off behind everyone.

I follow his gaze as everybody starts to realize the change in the atmosphere and quiet down.

All eyes lock on an approaching Leah. Her hair is in its usual style along her shoulders and she dons a white v neck and khaki shorts. I'm guessing that's a coincidence?

She stops a few feet away from Sam and Em. His hand interlocks with Emily's as they stand together. Sue and Seth appear on either side of the semi-circle that formed.

Leah's face is unreadable. It's clear that she seems uncomfortable by her stance, but her face is clear. Not a trace of emotion, but her eyes are locked on Emily.

Something is off…

"Leah?" Sam breaks the silence.

She glances away for a second, looking down at her shoes and then she takes two steps and she hugs Emily. Emily's arms wrap around her automatically and they hold each other for what seems like forever and when they let go, tears are running down both their faces. Leah wipes them away from Emily's cheek. "I love you and I'm so sorry for everything"

Emily smiles and shakes her head. "It's okay, I forgive you and I love you, too"

Sam stares softly at Leah. She breaks away from Emily and stares at Sam and she hugs him, too. They hold each other for long time. Emily takes a step away and watches silently because she understands.

When they break away, Leah gives a smile. "You two are destined to be together and I couldn't be happier. The past is the past and now, I can really live for my future, so congratulations” She smiles again and begins to back away.

"Wait!" Emily speaks up. Leah turns back and looks at her. "Stay…it would mean the world"

Leah chews on the inside of her lip and with a smile, walks back towards them. Everyone applauds and Sue and Seth go and hug her.

I exhale. "That was…beautiful"

Jake nods. "Yeah…Hakuna Matata, right?"

Leah looks dead at us out of the midst of people and rolls her eyes.

"It'll take some getting used to, definitely" I say. "But everything seems golden"

"Yeah…" He stares out into the crowd and takes a step back. "C'mon, I need your help with something"

I raise my eyebrows and glance around before following him down the hill. "What's the mission, Captain?"

He hums. "You'll like it, trust me"

"Hm"

We walk in a peaceful silence. My hand bumps against his as we slowly trek through the trees. His skin is warm, as always and soft. I slip my left hand in my pocket and my right in his grip.

He slows to a stop and stares down at our joined hands and raises squeezes gently. "I love this…" He murmurs rubbing small circles into the side of my thumb. "And I love you"

I inhale on a lost breath. "I love you, too"

He watches my face and then steps closer and we kiss. It's slow and soft, so soft that it barely feels real until he eases away and I catch his lips again. Gentle flies out the window as I lead aggressively, but he keeps up right along with me. The kiss starts to dwindle until they're just pecks as I pull back. "You don't know how long I wanted to say that"

He flashes a toothy smile. "I'm pretty sure I do" He breathes, that gorgeous smirk gracing his face.

He doesn't let go of my hand as he leads me away. I can't help but stare at him and see the sun shine along his face with a warm glow and filter through his long eyelashes, casting specks of glitter in his eyes and shadows along his cheeks and bruised lips.

The ambience of the trees is the only sound besides our beating hearts as we walk. We cross the field towards his house.

I pause when he opens the door.

"Uhm…spring cleaning?"

Everything non-perishable from the refrigerator sits on either the living room table, the dining room table, the book shelves or the kitchen counter.

He shakes his head. "No, just…bear with me" He opens the fridge up.

I inhale sharply. "Is that what I think it is?"

He takes a step back. "Yep" He pulls out the cake and with a grunt sets it on the table.

It's…wow.

It’s tall, maybe four feet and almost snow white with very thin strips of cream circling each base. There's a glass looking casing that spirals up the right half of this…sculpture and circles around the back and stops at the top like ice that stopped freezing. Flowers bud from it, some roses and lilacs trail up and down it with a single white blossomed rose in the center of the top. There's a thin layer of frost that covers everything, even the flowers. Along the base of the cake written in impossibly neat handwriting is  _Forever & Always._

"It’s…" I can't even find the words.

"Beautiful, right?" He says distantly like his mind is somewhere else.

"Yeah…"

"Do me a favor and just check it out, make sure there are no scratches or dents or anything" He exhales and moves around the table. "She'll kill me for sure..." He mumbles.

"Who?" I look the cake over. Spotless.

He's back in my line of sight. "Alice and before you utter a word, I trust her, okay?"

My eyebrows shoot up. "Alice…as in the leech's sister…that Alice?"

"Paul…" He continues to look at the cake.

"Jake…you gotta stop hanging around them. It's not right. It's not…it's like suicide"

He stops and turns to me. "I hate when you guys do that, I really do" An expression flies across his fast so fast, I almost miss it. "They're great people, all of them and I wish everybody would stop judging them for what they are and just accept them for who they are. I don't see why Seth and I are the only ones who are open-minded" His jaw clenches, his eyes bold.

"Jake, I-"

He looks away. "Okay, can we just...go" He opens the door, walks around the cake and finds leverage on the bottom. He’s annoyed.

I inhale. "I'm sorry" I just go ahead and position myself opposite of him. "Ready, one, two…" It's got a good weight on it, but it's not heavy.

We lower it for the doorway and he shifts his side to one hand as he shuts the door and then takes it back. "Take the field up to the overpass. The lot's our best way without being seen"

I nod as we move. "Good thing it's not hot out today" It's cool enough that the cake won't sweat.

We walk across the field and up through the overpass of the pine trees. The roads are clear as we cross as so is the parking lot. We take our time coming up the steep hill, my eyes watching both the cake and my feet.

They start to gasp before half of the cake is even visible. Everybody's seated at the tables and there's a line at the food table but all eyes are on the cake that we set on the round table.

Grins and applause roll around. Sam's expression is priceless. Emily laughs and claps.

Jake smiles and looks up at it. Somebody runs up and snaps a pic. A few kids from the middle school walk up and marvel. One boy reaches out boldly to touch the flowers and I grab his wrist quick as hell.

"Touch anything and you won't be touching anything else for the rest of your life" I squeeze his fingers for emphasis and let go. He and all the others back off immediately with confused glares.

"You are so mean" Jake says, shaking his head. "You guys can look, but don't touch" He says to them as a few other people walk up to look.

We move away and walk towards the head table. I run my hand along Dad's shoulder as I pass him. He pauses in the middle of his conversation with Miss Jenney and smiles up at me.

A proud father, I suppose.

I see Jake talking to Billy and Sue and then he keeps moving.

Sam and Emily rise at the same time. Her smile is the biggest. Sam's is smaller but just as wild.

"Told you everything will be okay" Jake smiles.

Sam laughs and bear hugs him. "Thank you, both of you" He releases him and turns his attention to me.

"No, wait, I didn-" His chest slams against me and he hugs me anyway.

"Just shut up and take it" He laughs, gripping me tighter and then letting me go.

I inhale deeply and catch my breath, but then Emily snags me into a hug. "Aw, thanks, you guys!" She grins in my ear.

I pull back and smile. "You're welcome, now enough with the hugging. I'm claustrophobic!"

She waves it off as she steps back past Sam to her seat. "You are not, stop it" He follows her and they sit with their hands joined.

Jake takes his seat next to Sam and I sit next to him with Seth on my right. Rachel, Becca and Claire on Quill's lap sit on the opposite of Emily. I see Embry with his mom and younger brother and sister sitting at one of the other tables.

Jared runs up and flashes a picture. "Oh, that was great, one more!" Alright, the flash is getting tired.

"Alright, I think that's enough photos for one day, Jared. Call it quits" Becca says.

“Jesus, yes” I add.

"Yeah, yeah" He aims the camera her way. She poses along with the rest of the table.

Mrs. Grady and Miss Charlotte decked in cream colored aprons and hairnets saunter up with two full plates. Miss Charlotte sets hers in front of Sam and moves onto Emily's side of the table and Mrs. Grady serves Emily and then turns to us.

"Oh, you boys look so handsome" I see Seth blush out of the corner of my eye. "I remember when you were all just tiny things playing in the mud and you were just a baby trying to keep up" She rubs Seth's cheek. "The cutest thing" Her eyes catch someone in the crowd and she waves. "Now, what will it be, boys?"

Jake stands and peers over to the table. "Uhm…what's on the menu?"

She smiles. "Let's see, we have fried chicken, beef cubes, lamb, Hawaiian yams, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, baked tilapia, garlic and pumpernickel bread, uhm…oh, and grilled corn and mixed veggies"

Jake's mouth drops and my stomach growls and she chuckles. "So, everything for you two and you, hon?" She turns to Seth.

He shrugs. "What their having"

She croons. "Aw, bless your heart, baby. I'll be right back!" She rubs his hair and walks off.

I hold back a smile as he threads his hair through his fingers. "I'm not a baby" He mumbles.

"You are" I say.

He cuts his eyes at me. "Am not and I wish you'd stop saying that" He almost pouts. It's cute.

I see Jared snap a pic of Hannah and Leah and whistle him over. "Well, I wish you'd stop acting like one"

He crosses his arms and scoots down in his seat. "Whatever" He shakes his head.

Jared walks back up, lens drawn. "Well, no matter how old you get, you'll always be my baby brother" I yank him in and plant a big sloppy kiss on his cheek as Jared snaps the pic.

"That was cute" Becca smiles, her phone out again.

Claire claps her hands. "Aww, Unky Pawl and Unky Seth!"

Seth scrubs his cheek off with his napkin. "Ugh, I swear…"

"Priceless" Jared chuckles, his eyes lingering for a second on him and then he's aiming at me and Jake. "Smile you guys"

He scoots closer and wraps his arm around my neck and my arm slides around his waist and squeeze. He flinches a little and gives me a look. "Stop" He grits through his smile. I tickle his sides and grin. There's the flash and his arm slides off me with a smack to my neck.

I flinch and look at him. "You started it" He shrugs with a smile, his bottom lip poking out wet and pink.

I look away with a huff and bite my lip. "Well, we'll see who finishes it"

"I guess we will" He says.

I grin.

"You okay?" I hear Emily whisper to Sam. I look at him to see him staring at Jake with glossy eyes. Emily rubs his shoulder comfortingly, a small smile gracing her delicate features.

"Sam, you good?" I wonder aloud. Seth leans past me.

Jake looks at him and sighs with a smile. "Sam, it was no biggie, honestly. It's- just think of it as another gift from me and the uninvited guest…" He raises his eyebrows.

Sam closes his eyes with a silent chuckle, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Yeah…" He inhales and opens his eyes. "I'm just really grateful for everything" There goes another tear. "Thank you, all of you"

"Aw, you're welcome!" Becca and Rachel say at the same time.

Jake blushes. "You're welcome, man" He shrugs. "Besides, you haven't even tasted it yet. Mind blowing" He gestures his head exploding.

Emily chuckles. "It looks too perfect to even eat"

"Yeah, you say that now" He jokes, taking a sip of water. I see Mrs. Grady and her granddaughter, Molly, walk up with our plates. She sets one piled high in front of Jake, another in front of me and Molly sets the smallest one in front of Seth.

"Now, Molly, remember what I told you" Mrs. Grady says, her hand on Molly's shoulder. "Be polite and responsible"

"I haven't, Grandma" She beams. Mrs. Grady smiles and moves on to Sam and Emily.

"So how can we help you, young lady?" Jake asks, leaning over his plate and giving her his full attention.

She grins and folds her hands at her waist. "I am here to serve you young, handsome groomsmen your drinks and to offer you your choices of dessert, if you choose to accept any"

I smile. "Are you, now" She's bright as hell for an eight year old.

She beams. "Yep" She looks just like her mother, Catherine.

"Okay" I sit back. "So, what are our choices to drink and does that include the hard stuff or just the regular stuff?"

She cocks her head and giggles. "Nice try, but no" She brushes a strand of brown hair out of her eyes. Seth smirks. "We have…Pepsi's, sprite, root beer, ginger ale, lemonade and fresh brewed iced tea with lemon and orange slices and mint leaves in it. I made it myself, ahem" She smiles and continues to count on her fingers. "And we have…regular tea and coffee, if that's not hard enough for you, then you're on your own. Besides, the 'hard stuff'" She makes quotations and with a shake of her head, "Is really hard on your liver and messes severely with your judgment"

"Gave you facts" Seth laughs. "I swear I love you, Molly"

I look at Jake who covers his mouth snickering. I roll my eyes. "Okay, smart ass. Let me try your iced tea"

She smiles. "Excellent choice" She looks at Seth. "And for you?"

He wipes his tears from laughing away. "Uh, yeah, the same thing"

She looks at Jake who just nods. "The same"

She nods and turns away. "Coming right up"

"Thanks, Moll!" Jake says, catching his breath.

I ignore the laughing. "And it better be good!" I say boldly.

She turns so sharp you'd think I'd cursed her out. "Oh, it will, trust me. I run three different lemonade and iced tea stands in three different parts of town and have not received one complaint yet" She purses her lips like 'mm, I thought so' and then skips off.

Jake and Seth lose it. Howls of laughter spew everywhere. I see Quill and Rachel laughing, even Emily, resting her head on her arm laughs.

I roll my eyes. "She's like eight!"

"Yet you still got schooled!" Jake howls.

I nudge him away. "Shut up"

Their still laughing when she comes back carrying three tall glasses of iced tea. She sets them down carefully in front of us, takes a bow in front of Sam and Emily and then turns to me and gives the 'I'm watching you' gesture.

I narrow my gaze and she turns away. She's a bit too damn bright for her age.

I dig into my plate and stop after a few bites. "Jesus…" I drop my fork and just chew for a minute. "Oh…good God…"

"I know, right" Rachel says smashing.

"Don't let me leave without a plate, Jake" Becca says.

"Make that two for when I actually get on the plane because that first one won't make it an hour" Rachel adds.

"Especially this lamb, to die for" Emily eats a piece and sits back and shakes her head. "Just…give me a minute"

"These Hawaiian yams, though" Jake chimes.

"Yas!" Seth adds.

Sam chuckles. "Fat assess" Laughter rolls around the table.

"Be careful, you just married one" Rachel says pointing her fork.

Emily giggles. "Mhm" She muffles through a mouth full of macaroni and cheese.

Sam grins. "Everyone except her" He rubs her back. "My baby"

She scoops a forkful of yams, lamb and greens and leans towards him. "You damn right" He swipes it off the fork and takes her lips in a sweet kiss.

"Aww!" Quill hums intentionally loud to Claire's delight. It draws everyone else's attention and then their all cooing.

I smile. Jared runs up again and takes more pictures. I make a different expression in every single one of them. Sam and Emily break away with grins and giggles.

Jake leans over to me as he begins to stand. "Im’a use the bathroom. You guys should start setting up the dance floor since everybody almost finished eating"

I nod. "Okay" His hand runs along the back of my neck as he goes.

Emily raises her eyebrows as she takes a sip of her drink.

"Bathroom" He says, walking away. She nods and continues eating.

"Speech?" Quill asks abruptly, looking at me.

I knew he would do it. "Speech!"

"Speech!" Seth repeats. "Speech!"

Someone in the crowd picks it up. "Speech! Speech! Speech!" Everybody falls into the chant table by table. "Speech! Speech! Speech!"

I watch Jake turn slowly and look around with a nervous smile. Even Sam and Emily join in and cheer. He blushes and looks directly at me with a raised eyebrow.

I smile and give him a wink. He chuckles a little, takes one of the champagne glasses from a table, and stands in front of the buffet tables.

Everyone quiets down. Well, Jared runs up, snaps a pic and then it's quiet.

"Well," He smiles. "I didn't plan on giving my speech until after we ate and danced off all the lamb and yams that were stellar, by the way. Give our phenomenal cooks a hand" Applause rides around the room. Mrs. Grady and Ms. Charlotte smile and nod their heads in gratitude.

He takes a moment. "But…today has been…extraordinary, and not only because the entire reservation is here for a wedding and you know how everyone loves a great wedding, especially younger ones, but it's been extraordinary because…well, look at them" All eyes turn to Sam and Emily, holding hands with heartwarming smiles. "I don't know about you, but I see nothing but happiness and love and promise and it's…breathtakingly beautiful" Another round of applause sounds and Sam and Emily grin.

"Now, when I first met Sam growing up, and I'm sure everyone remembers, he wasn't like this. He wasn't this easy going, bright eyed, compassionate and lovable man he is today, no. He was the exact opposite, you know, this hard, isolated rebel that nobody really got" He exhales. "Besides Leah and…" He looks her way. She shifts in her seat and nods him on. "…Ms. Sandy" Sam's expression falters and his smile drops. Emily looks at him automatically and rubs his cheek comfortingly. He inhales and with a small smile, locks gazes with her which she reflects and they turn back towards Jake.

"But…then Emily came and there was such a…drastic change in everything he did. He, you know, did better in school and softened up a lot and just…changed for the better and I never understood why some days he would put off everything, work, school, his family and friends for this girl who 'pretended' not to like him" He smiles and uses quotations and Emily laughs. "Well, that's at least how I saw it. It was all for pretend..." He stares off longingly. "But, it wasn't until…" His eyes search around until they lock on me. "I understood what imprinting meant…" He blinks and his eyes are elsewhere.

Seth's hand pats my leg. I glare him down.

He snatches it away. "What, it felt like a touching moment"

I feel Sam's eyes on me briefly. "When he finishes, grab the guys and set up the dance floor" I say to Seth.

He sighs. "Yeah, yeah…" He rises and goes off to Quill and them Embry.

Jake blinks and hesitates, his eyes elsewhere, his gaze falling to the ground and after a second, he looks back up, blinks away again and then comes back to the crowd. "Through his eyes, uhm…that Emily was his everything and no matter what happened, he would always have her" He looks at the glass in his hand and smiles. "And Emily, love, I thank you so much for…" He pauses for words. "Being you and I say that because I love you and I love who you are and because who you are made him who he is today and that's golden. It truly is"

Everybody claps and the newlyweds share a kiss. Jared of course is ready with his camera.

"That's really deep" I say.

"Telling 'em like it is" Becca says.

Jake clears his throat and it's silent again. "So…" He raises his glass. "Cheers to…fresh and everlasting love, defined and true happiness and a promising future together forever. Congratulations, guys"

More pictures and applause sound louder than before. Emily is the first to stand and clap followed by Sam and then the rest of us and then the entire crowd.

Jake chugs the glass in one swallow, sets it on a table and jogs back to us. He hug's Sam first, strong and hard and then Emily and without a glance back he's racing down the hill.

"That was…" Sam says, taking his seat.

"Oscar winning" Emily finishes, planting a kiss on Sam's cheek and walking over to Hannah's table, planting a kiss on Claire's check as she goes.

Sam smiles as he watches her go.

"That was beautiful…"

He turns to me. "Hm?"

I shake my head. "His speech was really beautiful" It comes out soft.

He smiles. "It was…" He sits back in his chair a little and exhales.

I watch him he lift up his hand and take a long look at his ring, almost like the first time.

It's the first I've seen it this close. "That's really neat" I say. Its stainless steel and shiny as ever.

He glances back to me and back to his hand. "Thanks" The corner of his right cheek pull up. "Inexpensive, too"

I chuckle. "Of course"

I look past him to the ceremonial area. Seth and Embry stack up chairs as Quill positions the outlining post of the floor on the ground. Harper Jr. carries the stack of wood planks followed by Jared who expertly snaps a pic while carrying a stack. Finally doing something useful.

I look back around the room. I see Sue and Hannah laughing with Leah and Emily with actual tears running down their faces. I smile at that. Blood is thicker than water, I guess.

I see Dad handing a slice of pie to Mrs. Joyce and taking his seat between her and Mr. Leroy, her brother. I see Molly and Mrs. Grady laugh as they hand out plates. I look over to Billy telling one of his famous jokes to Claire and the rest of the kids and then Rachel walks up and she and Billy snap a photo together.

"Wait, Rachel!" Becca hops up and practically skips over to them, almost falling in the process and laughing it off with Haley who follows and after the three of them take a photo, she joins and the photo shoot begins.

An exhale escapes my chest that feels like it's been there all day. I reach for my cup and take a drag of Molly's tea. Eh, it's not that bad. Tangy, but sweet. Girl's got game.

I catch Sam's gaze and pause.

"What?"

He shakes his head slightly and blinks a few times. "Are you happy?"

I blink and set the cup down. "Yeah…why would you ask that?" Totally out of the blue.

He blinks away and inhales. "It's just…everyone here is up and about, mingling and having a good time and you're just sitting here watching them all" He pauses. "Alone"

I glance around. "…well, I don't think that necessarily means I'm unhappy, you know. I've spoken to almost everyone here, had a few laughs and I mean, you're sitting here right along with me while your wife is grinning away" I smile a little. "Besides, it's your day, not mine"

He shrugs slightly. "I suppose" He's quiet for a moment, his eyes watching everyone around us with reserved amusement.

I look down at my glass and sigh. "Are you sure…is that the only reason you asked?"

He looks at me and smiles. "I was curious and unsure and I apologize"

I shake my head. "No, it's…you know" I glance out around the crowd for him, but he's not there. "I'm happy" I look back at him. "I'm in love" I stare off and shrug ever so lightly. "Life is…beautiful for me, for us" I smile. "Jake's just…" I can't even find words to fit it.

"He leaves you speechless" He says.

A chuckle bubbles up from my inner being. I nod gently and smile.

He stares at me, a smile gracing his face with affection and sincerity. He holds out his hand and I take it.

"Love hard" He says strongly. There's a twinkle in his eyes that just…seems…different. Like, I can't place it.

I smile and grip his hand and bump his fist. He rises and runs his hands down his shirt. "Now, c'mon. Let's mingle"

**Emmett’s P.O.V.**

I inhale, exhale and walk down the stairs. Before I even get to the door, here comes the inevitable. "Where you going?"

I pause at the foot of the stairs and turn. Alice and Jaz sit in the living room reading. She sits poised on the sofa, her legs crossed Indian style with her eyes in Vogue. Jazz sits at her feet with the same posture with her fingers dancing lightly in his hair. Her hair is cut shorter, almost in an Anne Hathaway/Halle Berry type style.

"Out" She looks up at me, eyes dangerous. "Nice haircut, by the way"

She nods, staring me over. "Thank you, but you do remember we have to have another talk, right?" Jaz raises an eyebrow but doesn't look at me.

I sigh. "Alice, not today, okay? I'm in a perfectly good mood, don't spoil it"

Her left eyebrow twitches and her eyes sharpen on me. It's all in her expression. She's deathly serious.

I slip my hands into my pockets. "We can talk tonight, okay" I turn back to the door.

"Emmett…" She warns. "I mean it"

"When I get back, alright?" I can feel my mood slipping to the point where Jaz looks up at me. "I won't be out long, hop off my back for a second"

She cuts her eyes back to her book and exhales. "Hm. Unfortunately, Jasper and I will be on a date tonight and will not be returning until late morning" She pursues her lips. "So, I advise you to be ready"

“Mhm” I turn to go.

She looks back up to me and raises an eyebrow. "And what are you wearing?"

I exhale and look up at the ceiling. "I have on a plum colored V-neck, black Levi slim-fit jeans, my signature black boots and my leather jacket. All picked up by me. Is there a problem" It's all sass and sarcasm.

She runs her eyes up me in amusement and animosity and turns back to her magazine. "Hm…" She flips the page sharply, her lips pursed. "Carry on"

"I like it" He speaks up, nodding in approval.

I shrug. "Thanks" I turn towards the door and open it. "At least someone appreciates my style"

She sighs. "At least someone's finally learning" She says starkly. The door closes with a small click.

I sigh as I step down the stairs. Esme rests on her knees as she plants flower buds in her garden.

"Good afternoon" I say, planting a kiss on her cheek as I pass.

"Good afternoon" She smiles, surprised. "You're quite chipper today…" She says warmly.

I shrug. "I mean, it's a new day, you know? What do I have to be down about?"

She smiles and sits back on her legs. “Nothing, nothing at all" Proud Mom. "Where are you off to, by the way?"

I shrug again. "Just to see a friend, might dabble into town a bit, nothing major"

She nods. "Ah, okay. Well, remember, Carlisle and I will be attending the Hospital's Annual Gala tonight and I overheard that Alice and Jasper will be away, as well as Rosalie" She blinks a few times. "And I believe Edward may be away for the day, he and Bella, but I'm not quite sure"

I nod. "Oh, okay. House to myself, cool" I turn to walk away. "I'll see you all later, then. Have a good time!"

"You too, dear!" She says as I walk down the driveway.

It's cool out. It’s a lovely day. Its semi clear, but I can see the grey clouds rolling in from a few miles away. I breathe in the warm air. It's a bit humid, but mostly dry.

A few birds caw overhead, a goldfinch is the closet and some type of hawk flies high above it. They soar calmly, their wings flapping powerfully in the breeze that flows below their feathers.

Nature is really beautiful. It's soothing and enchanting.

Up ahead, a car turns onto the driveway. A navy blue BMW…

I sigh. "Of course"

The car sort of slows down about ten feet away from me. It’s the same boy from before with the blond hair and ice blue eyes. Rosalie is in the passenger seat with a look of amusement as she looks at her phone. Her eyes flicker to me briefly and then back to her phone as they resume speed up to the house.

"That was him?" He asks. I can tell he's peering through the rear view mirror.

She exhales. "Yeah, but he's inadequate"

I huff a laugh, a real genuine one. "Owe, big words"

The car stops at the driveway. "I try" She sighs as she exits the car.

I exhale as I walk further down onto Panama Street, Bella's block. Her driveway's empty, but the windows are open. I can hear Charlie snoring from the living room windows.

There's a yard sale a few houses down on the left side of the street. I see a boy, Mike, I think his name is and Tyler, the boy who almost made Bella road kill sitting on the front lawn chugging beer. As soon as they see me, they start to whisper.

"Dude, that's Emmett Cullen…" Tyler says. His eyes widen a bit like it's unusual to see me.

Mike takes a sip of his Heineken. "Surprised to see him outside of school for once" He takes another deep pull. "Freaks"

"Totally" Tyler agrees. "They're like hermits or something"

I look their way. "We're not, but think that if you want" I say, looking both of them in the eye and keep on walking. I go a few blocks up and then make the left onto the reservation with a snicker on my face from their reactions.

The pungent smell hits me like I've walked into a window, but it doesn’t annoy me as it did before. I see a few people walking by and I slip into the trees to avoid confrontation. I mean, they can say something and it'll be a done game, but I'm not here for that.

I'm here for him. And my jeep. I grin. Dry leaves crunch under my feet as I try my best not to make a sound to set off anything or anybody.

There's music coming from somewhere to my right and there's a lot of people there. I can hear laughter and the smell of food as it travels with the wind. The crowd grows louder as someone starts to chant, "Speech! Speech! Speech!" Sounds like Seth.

Someone clears their throat. "Well, I didn't plan on giving my speech until after we ate and danced off all the lamb and yams that were stellar, by the way. Give our phenomenal cooks a hand" Applause rides up.

That's his voice… I move in closer to get a better view. I skip up the hill and lean against the trees lining the right side of the wedding reception.

"Today has been…extraordinary, and not only because the entire reservation is here for a wedding and you know how everyone loves to go to a wedding, especially younger ones, but it's been extraordinary because…well, look at them…"

I can see him standing alone in front of everybody with a single champagne glass in his hand as he speaks. Everybody turns to look behind them at Sam and his wife as they smile and grin.

"I don't know about you, but I see happiness and love and promise and it's…breathtakingly beautiful"

He goes on and I just stare at him. He has on a white short-sleeve button down and golden khaki shorts that cling a little to his thighs. He looks…radiant. His skin glows another shade of russet in the shimmering sunlight flowing in from the overhead trees. I catch his smile towards the crowd.

I glance around. There's his father sitting next to a woman who favors Seth and his sister a lot. I see Jody-John? Whatever his name is, taking pictures. There's a kid or two I've seen around town once or twice; the Rocwe sisters from the Starbucks in upper Seattle. I see a model I've caught glimpses of in one of Alice's Vogue magazines. She sits awfully close to the bridal party. Maybe there's a relation somewhere.

"But…then Emily came and there was such a…drastic change in everything he did. He, you know, did better in school and softened up a lot and just…" Jake continues on.

I see a guy with a young girl who's maybe four sitting on his lap sitting next to Jake's sisters and then there's Sam and his wife. Emily looks amazing in her gown and her smile just beams happiness. Sam looks…great, too. He, Jake and the boy with the girl on his lap are all dressed the same along with Seth and…Paul.

He sits with an amused smirk on his face like he's enjoying listening to Jake give his speech.

It ticks me off. I can feel the urge bubbling up to just walk up and knock his jaw loose just for looking.

"But, it wasn't until…I understood what imprinting meant…" There's a dramatic change in his heartbeat and voice and I look his way.

He’s looking directly at me. I smile and nod him on.

He blinks and pauses. There's an expression that crosses his face so quick that it'd miss the normal eye, but I catch it.

His eyes fall to the ground and he glances back at me before he continues on, eyes back on the crowd. "Through his eyes…that Emily was his everything and no matter what happened, he would always have her" He looks down at the glass in his hand and there's his smile. "And Emily, love, I thank you so much for…" He hesitates. "Being you and I say that because I love you and I love who you are and because who you are made him who he is today and that's golden. It truly is"

There's another applause and I see Sam and Emily share a kiss. I see…okay, I'm gonna conclude his name is Jerry, run up with the camera and snap a pic.

"That's really deep" I hear Paul say.

One of Jake's sister's speaks up. "Telling 'em like it is"

Everyone quiets down again as Jake clears his throat. "So…" He raises his glass and everyone one else does the same. ""Cheers to…fresh and everlasting love, defined and true happiness and a promising future together forever. Congratulations, guys"

Another applause goes around. Damn, these people clap for anything. Emily stands and then everybody else does. Domino effect.

I watch Jake swallow the glass in one gulp and set it on a random table and run back up to the bridal party. He hugs Sam hard, his muscles bulging and Emily with a looser hug and then he's running down a hill. He throws a glance in my direction before he reaches the bottom and I'm there.

I glance around. Everyone moves onto something else. I see Emily walk away from Sam to the table where the model sits with her mother as well as Seth's mom and his sister, Leah. Sam sits back in his seat observing everything with a soft smile while Paul looks behind them. Seth and a couple of guys break down the ceremonial area and set up a dance floor while Jerry or whatever his name is takes a picture.

Everyone's preoccupied. Good.

I walk down the hill and towards Jake who’s leaning on the side of a truck out of view of everyone.

“What are you doing here?” He grins.

“What, I can’t come and see you in the middle of the day, now?” I say, smiling.

“It’s barely noon!” He fires back with a laugh.

I roll my eyes. “Whatever”

He looks behind him and then takes a few steps back. “C’mon” He turns around and starts to walk across the parking lot.

I raise my eyebrows, but follow him anyway. He watches out for anybody that may spot us.

“So let me guess,” He looks at me. “You’re either here to kidnap me for a masterpiece of an adventure or you’re finally collecting your showcase of a Jeep. Those are your options”

I laugh. “Oh, is that my only reasoning these days?”

He smiles and glances around. “Well, you never know with you these days. Such mystery in those golden eyes” He bumps into me.

I push him out of the way. “Uhuh” He laughs. “Any chance of you telling me where we’re going?” We’ve passed the field and crossed onto a shady driveway leading to a house.

He smiles that smile again. “Well, I know we’re I’m going. You, on the other hand, are following me”

“Oh, am I?”

He nods. “Mhm. Nah, I’m kidding. Gotta piss and it’s the closest house to the Meadow, so yeah” We walk up the driveway lined with rose bushes and mint plants. It’s a small place with a caramel roof, marble white walls, and scrubbed clean windows. Reminds me of Esme’s cottage.

He turns to me before we hit the steps. “Stay put, be right back” He says and then opens the screen door and goes inside. “And don’t be obvious!” He yells.

I roll my eyes. "I'll do my best" I mumble. His footsteps rumble across the house and then it’s silent for a second before water splashes.

I walk around the area. It’s a nice neighborhood, a little bit more up-kept then where Jake lives. All the houses are scattered around a ways and have their own driveways and yards. There’s a soothing smell that drifts around whenever a breeze blows by that stirs the fallen leaves and the smell of pine needles and sea salt in the air.  

I glance up at the sky as the Sun streams through the greying clouds. It beams down to the ground as the wind jostles the canopy tops. A shard lands on me and color scatters everywhere. Violet, red, orange, white, sapphire, jade, gold. I’m a spectrum.

The toilet flushes and his footsteps thunder across the floor. The screen door opens and it grows silent. 

I turn around and look at him. He’s staring at me mystified.

"What?" I take step forward.

He shakes his head and drops as he walks out and shuts the door. "Just…I'll never get over the way your skin looks in the light" I can see him as a kid, beyond fascinated with sparkling objects and things that glitter. "It's beautiful" He blinks. "You're beautiful"

I feel my smile reach my eyes and I step over to him. His fingers reach out to trail along my cheek and neck as my hands encircle his waist and pull him flush against me. Chest to chest, arm to arm.

"I missed you…" He mumbles, eyes on my lips and then in my eyes. I can see each and every speck of caramel in them.

"I missed you, more" I rest my forehead against his, my eyes on his lips. I lean in and we're kissing softly, passionately. My right thumb rubs along his side, slipping past his waist.

His gasp is sharp and it breaks his voice. He sucks in his bottom lip and bites it. "Emmett…" It's needy and holds so much behind it. His fingers slip into my curls and grip hard.

I clench my jaw tight and repress the moan in my throat that's begging to be released. His skin wafts off heat and his scent and his eyes swirl, pulling me deeper. His lips are just…to die for, pink and fool and…underneath it all, his heart. Pounding in his chest, pulling, pushing his hot blood through him…

I fight back against the urge, even as an itch flickers in my throat. "C'mon…let's get you back before someone notices…" He exhales and tightens his grip around me.

"I hate when you do that…" He groans.

I smile a little. "I'm saying that because if we start, we won't stop" It's a promise. You don't understand how badly I want to fuck you into the dirt right now.

He chews on his bottom lip and loosens his hold. His hands fall away, grazing my sides, sending little sparks through me.

I hold out my hand and he takes it without hesitation. It's warm, just like his heart. We take a path through the trees this time instead of out in the open.

“How was the wedding?”

He sighs. "It was beautiful. Music was great, the vows were heart spilling, and the food was…well, let's just say it could possibly put Esme to shame"

I smile. "Shit, I’m snitching”

"You wouldn't" He laughs.

I grin and his smile blooms. Our footsteps fall into sync again. Our hands swing together. This is a romance.

The sounds of the reception party pick up as we grow closer. There's music now blasting from somewhere. Blurred Lines, I think or something along the lines of the original.

He turns to me before he steps away. "So…see you later?"

I close in on his personal space. "Well, you don't have to go back, you know…" I wrap my arms around him again. "I don't want you to, at least"

He laughs quietly. "I'm the best man, of course I gotta go back…" He drums his fingers along my shoulders. "I mean, I don't want to either, but…"

I inhale his scent. "I mean, I'm sure he'd understand…besides, nobodies gonna point it out"

He looks at me and sighs, staring at my skin. "Somebody will notice…" There's a tone underlying his voice. "What would we do, anyway?"

I shrug and glance out around us. "Whatever you want" My voice drops low. Just agree.

He stares into my eyes and drops his gaze. "Well, even though that's a tempting offer…" He runs his hands down my chest and glances up the hill. "I can’t”

I pull away with a sigh. "Yeah, sure…" It's not meant to seem 'well fuck it then' at all, but I can see in his expression that he takes it that way.

His stare intensifies. "Emmett…"

"No, no, it’s okay" I slip my hands in my pockets. "You're busy and family comes first, I get it. It's cool" I mean, I'm not mad or anything, but…he's busy. Before he opens his mouth, I stop him. "Jake, really, it's cool. It can wait" His body relaxes with an exhale. "Okay?"

He rolls his eyes. "See, now you got me feeling bad"

I smile. "No, like its fine" I chew on my bottom lip. "Later, then?"

He smiles. "Yeah…" He leans in and kisses me. It's rough and dominating but it emphasizes the point. He takes a step back and adjusts his clothes with a sneaky smile. "I blame you if that's noticeable" He digs into his boxers to hide his bulge.

I put on a sly grin. “Wouldn’t have to if I had my way…”

"Oh my god, I gotta go!" He blushes hard and slips his hands in his pockets. "Later"

"Later, then"

He spins around and strolls out of the trees towards the hill.

“You know it’s on later” I say. He turns back to me, face red and teeth bright and shakes his head.

I adjust myself and turn to head home. It’s on later, trust me.

I can feel the itch returning now, faint but its there. It starts as a lick, as it always does but it won't be long before those licks turn into flames scourging my throat. I keep an eye out for any stray deer or bears, something that could soothe the burn before it gets too bad. I can see the road up ahead, now. If anything goes down, it won't be on their territory.

There are footsteps approaching behind me followed by a steady flow of breath. "Hey!" I spin around to see him jogging up on me.

I raise my eyebrows. "You're throwing me for a loop. What happened to having fulfilling your best man duties?"

He slows to a stops and shrugs, his eyebrows rising. "Well, I'm here ain't I? Besides, nobody saw me"

"Like I told you" I point out.

He smiles and walks past, brushing against me. "Well, c'mon…"

I just rock back and watch him. “Now you're rushing me, huh?"

He grins and bends to tie his shoe. "Yes, actually" I can't help but notice the dip in his back. He straightens back up. "You made me an offer and I'm taking it" He swings his arms up behind him and points. "Now, let's go"

"Hm, alright" I saunter over to him. A roar rumbles across the sky.

He looks up. "Damn, that sucks. Their gonna be pissed”

Which reminds me. "I wanna show you something" I know exactly what I want to do.

He starts to walk backwards. "Well, let’s get a move on before it starts to pour down"

"Well, you can't actually walk there…" His eyebrows furrow up as I smile and the realization hits him.

"Emmett, no…" He takes another step back with a seriously nervous smile followed by his hands stretched out. "Chill, I’m serious!”

"Hold on tight" And in a blur, I pull him onto my back, wrap his arms around my neck and we're flying off the reservation. His legs tighten around me roughly but I can feel his smile in my ear.

There's cars on the main road. I dip and dodge a few and launch us sixty feet into the air without being seen. I throw a quick glance around the sky and see Jake holding on for dear life with a grin. "Wooooohoooooo!"

We're running off the road, past Bella's and into the forest leading past the house. Another crash of thunder rolls across the sky and I really dig into the ground. I can smell the ozone filling the air rapidly. Hopefully we make it in time.

I follow the signs on the trees and I see it. I can tell he only sees the rapidly approaching tree trunk that we're about to crash into and he presses in tighter. "Please, please…"

I halt an inch in front of the trunk. "Everything alright back there?" It starts to drizzle lightly, like a mist.

He groans. "Can I get down, now?" His breath sends a tingle down my neck.

I smile and glance up. "We’re almost there, I promise" I feel the bark and then we're moving vertically. I launch us higher and faster, branch after branch. My fingers dig into the bark and propel us forward. I see the final branch a hop across our tree. I leap and he almost screams before I pounce off the branch and step onto the canopy platform.

He clings so tight, I can barely move my arms. "Jake, you can open your eyes, now"

He shakes his head, his face buried in the crook of my neck. "Mm-mm. Not until we're back on the ground"

I smile and look back at him. "Well, how would you know if we weren't? We're standing completely still, aren't we?"

He’s squeezing his eyes shut. Then he peeks through one and then he opens them wide.

From here, we can see everything. Forks, the Reservation, the main road that leads into the city winding like a snake, the ocean. He slides off my back with his hands still wrapped firmly around my shoulders. His feet hit the platform with a thud.

“Yeah, Jaz and I found this a week after we moved here” He peeks over the edge. “This is the tallest redwood in the area, so I thought it’d be dope if we made a treehouse” I walk around the wooden floor circling the tree in a circle eight feet in diameter. I lean back against the bark, next to the stairs that leads up to another level. He just marvels at the sight of everything.

“Well?”

He smiles and looks down. “Emmett, this is…fucking amazing” He peeks back over the edge. “How high are we, anyway?”

“You honestly don’t wanna know” I grin. “Quit peeking over. “There will be no werewolves getting saved today"

He rolls his eyes with a grin and steps back. He stares out in wonder as the wind blows through his hair and his shirt. He loves this, I can see it the way his eyes map out everything around us.

I step behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.

He leans back into me, his hands resting over top mine. “So…favorite spot number two?”

My smile just resonates. “Nah…number three”

He looks back at me, head resting on my shoulder. “What’s number one?”

“Hm…I’ll tell you later” I look out in the distance. “Watch” He turns back around.

Way out there, where the clouds are the grayer than the ones closest, flash the first streaks of lightening. I see his face light up, his left eyebrow twitching, the corners of his mouth rising.

There’s a crash of thunder and, like a curtain rolling back to reveal the greatest show on earth, the rain starts.

It like when the Sun is shining and clouds float across it and shield it from view briefly. Everything is dimmed in shade for a moment until the cloud moves. Bit by, the rain falls from afar with a fine mist in tow.

It grows heavier as it comes closer and soon it’s on us. He grins as we get rained on. Heavy drops pour down the leaves and splash into my hair.

“Wait…” His grin falters. “Is it even safe to be up here?”

Before I can reassure him, a crack of lightening hits, much closer than the last. It makes him jump and I can feel the hairs of our skin rise. “Yeah, it’s time to get down, now”

He laughs but climbs on my back quick. "Hold onto me!”

I grip his thighs. "I won't let you go"

I look for the right branch on the closest tree and pounce. It's fast enough to give me leverage on the branch to not break it, but it wobbles just the slightest. I see the next one a few feet below on the next tree and go for it. We land hard and continue on with the rest as the ground flies closer.

The forest floor is soaked when we touchdown. We laugh and run. I can feel the water building up in my boots. It rains harder and the wind howls, sending water in every direction. Everything around us turns grey and glossy.

He’s right on my back as we move. “Where are we going?” He wipes water from his eyes.

“My house, c’mon!” I holler over the rain. He takes my hand and we run. It takes no time till we’re running up the steps and bursting through the door.

I slide across the floor, but catch myself. He slips and fall from the mud on his shoes. I fucking die of laughter.

“Shut up!” He laughs it off with a grin once he’s standing. His eyes drop to my other hand. “Ooowe”

I look down at the broken door handle. “Oh, fuck!” I look at the door now missing an entire handle and some of the wood. “Shit, shit. Esme’s going to kill me”

He tip toes over to the door. “Wait, can’t replace it in time?”

I shake my head. Fuck. “No, somebody will notice, trust me” I look at it again and just toss it away. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll fix it later. You hungry?”

He shrugs. "I could eat. Is that that Cullen hospitality that is so rare in these parts?" He chuckles, running a hand through his hair, flicking water all on the floor.

"Yeah, yeah" I slip off my jacket and toss it on the steps. "Come on" I walk into the Kitchen and open the fridge.

"You guys have food? Whaaaaaat?" He says, following me.

“I mean, we cook from time to time. Esme and Carlisle bring it to work or whatever”

“Cool…” He leans against the counter behind me. “What does she do occupation wise, anyway?”

I scan the fridge. “Uh, she’s an interior decorator as well as an Architect for The Isley’s in Seattle. She also teaches arts and crafts at the Sunshine Park Nursing home in Vancouver on the weekends. Gardens, cooks, she does the whole nine”

“Hm. She’s a sweetheart” He says.

“Yeah, she’s an angel…”

“Yeah…she reminds me of my Mom…” He says and it sounds distant.

I pause and turn around to him. He’s looking away and then he looks at me and gives me a small smile that doesn’t seem all too real.

"You alright?"

He shakes it off. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I’m wet” He laughs, running his hands through his hair. He looks like he works in Abercrombie. “Hungry”

“I can make you something?” I watch the water roll down his neck and plop down onto the counter. More comes down his cheeks until there’s a small puddle on the black marble counter.

He looks at me and his eyes are blown. His lip curls into a sly grin before he looks away. “No one’s here, are they…?” His eyes flicker back to me.

I shake my head and train my eyes on the water he’s tracked in. Anything to look away from those lips. "Uhm…I'm pretty sure I have something that'll somewhat fit you…if you want?"

He shrugs. “Yeah, that’s okay” The air between us has shifted and we can both feel it.

I swallow as I motion him to go first. He walks out with a smile, his feet padding across the cherry wood floor with a small smack due to the water. I grab my jacket off the steps and he takes them one at a time, eyes on our framed caps.

He runs his fingers along the indigo one. He glances back, eyes asking the question.

"Chagrin Falls High School, 2004" I say. “It’s Edward’s”

He nods and drags his fingers across the others as we continues to ascend. He walks into the room and steps over to the window to watch the rain fall. I hang up my jacket in the closet and slip out of my socks and boots.

I see a pair of sweat pants folded on the shelf and a tank. I begin to peel off my shirt.

Warmth hovers along my back as small orbs of heat touch my skin. His touch sends a shiver through me and something else unnamable.

"Can I…?" He asks, nervous. His heart beats sporadically.

I pull off the rest of my shirt and turn to him slowly. I feel bare to him and it feels weird, but I nod him on.

He's hesitant but his fingers graze my left pec and rest there before moving on. His other hand reaches up and slides past my nipple. I swallow. It tickles, but not in the laughing way.

He glances up at me and focuses hard on my skin. His fingers travel south along the ridges of my abs, dragging slowly, patiently…down to my belly button.

He pauses briefly and changes his course of direction. His finger trail back upward, a little faster and his cautious eyes meet mine.

I feel like my heart is in my throat.

He takes a step closer as his fingers slide along my collarbone. I lick my lips slightly. His focus shifts to the motion and he looks up at me again. There so much want in his eyes, so much need for something that it makes him vulnerable.

I raise my right hand slowly and cup his cheek. His lips part as I lean in and place my own against his, my eyes closing.

It's slow and careful. My hands fall away and rest along his hips, pulling him closer. His heat clashes with my skin and it just feels right. His fingers slide along my skin and around my neck, one hand splayed along my cheek.

Everything takes a turn. His breathing picks up from shallow to another octave and my hands move down past his waist to his ass, groping. The moan he emits is needy and longing and it drives me insane. I can feel his dick pressing against my own with a gravitating force.

The kiss deepens and our tongues begin to wrestle. His saliva, his mouth, just…I feel my hand travel further down the crevice of his-

He pulls his lips away, the small smack echoing throughout the room. His eyes are closed.

Something's off. "Jacob…we don't have to if y-"

"Don't…" His eyebrows furrow together. "Don't say that…" He whispers and licks his lips slowly and opens his eyes. "Please…"

I nod slowly. My fingers leave his ass and come up to unbutton his shirt slowly. We maintain eye contact as his shirt falls open to reveal his damp, warm body. He shrugs the shirt off and lets it fall to the floor.

He surges forward abruptly and it begins.

Our kisses are rough, rushed and ruthless. His tongue ravishes mine and fills my mouth with heat. I lift him by his thighs and hold him by his cheeks. My fingers feel the globes of his ass and grip. He moans and pants.

The kisses carry on. I carry him to the bed and he holds me tight as we cling to each other.

His dick continues to throb against mine. I slide off his bruised, pink bottom lip and look at him. His eyes are half lidded, his breath coming out in pants. His heart is completely out of control.

I slide down his body, planting kisses along his throat and collarbone. My tongue swirls around his nipples and I bite lightly and he lets out a shaky breath. His fingers slide through my hair.

I lick and graze my teeth along his abs, planting open mouth kisses on each one. I breathe along his skin, watching the goose bumps flourish in numbers. I drag my tongue down into his belly button and swirl it around. His grip tightens and it urges me on.

I pause at his shorts and gaze up at him. He stares mystified and nods once.

I look back down at his waist and slowly pull off the wet fabric. It makes his skin gleam with sweat and water. My eyes rest on his dark grey briefs and flicker up to him. He blinks slowly. My fingers dance along his waist, sending a shiver through him and pull them down.

His dick is beautiful and big. It follows the same tone of his skin but melts into a deeper russet before it reaches his head that is a shade between both. It's the first I've seen beside my own.

I look up at him and he's so perfect. His chest rises and falls slowly as his heart beats loudly against the rain patters outside the window. There's a sheen of moisture covering his skin. His hair is everywhere, matted in some places, but his eyes are the most captivating.

I reel back and hover over him. "I've never…" My eyes flash to his.

He blinks and nods slowly. "It's okay…" A flash of desperation comes across his face.

I rub small circles into his thighs and smile. I stick out my tongue and drag it up his length. He closes his eyes and drags in the inhale. I lick another streak along the side and watch his expression. He's slowly losing it.

It doesn’t taste weird or anything. If anything, it’s alluring. I lick up to his head and when he's in the middle of his exhale, I suck down.

His reaction is instantaneous. His back arches off the bed and into the air, his mouth gasping for breath. I feel the sheets tighten in his fist.

I swallow to catch my breath and reel off and go again. I advance shallowly, barely an inch. His fingers caress my ear and forehead.

I take him in deeper, slowly to adjust but then a mouthful and he's loses it completely. I go down and swirl saliva around in my mouth and reel back. It gleams, a trail running from my lip to the tip of his dick.

"Ca…." He breathes.

I look up at him, eyebrow raised. My hand slides up along his thigh and grips him loosely, my hand sliding easily up and down him. His other hand is gripping the sheets so tight, his knuckles are turning white.

He clenches his jaw, his eyes closed tightly. I stroke him slowly. Every time my fingers roll over his head, he jerks up into my hand and his body twitches.

"Ca…" He swallows his face sweaty. "Can I…do you…?"

I hesitate and exhale a breath along his length. He shivers. "Yeah…" I let him go and drag myself onto the bed next to him.

He composes himself quickly and kicks off his boxers. He slides off the bed and lowers himself on his knees. I stare down at him.

His hands slide up my thighs and loosen my wet jeans. His eyes flicker between me and my belt loop. He unbuckles it slowly and then pops the button. He drags the zipper down tooth by tooth.

I lift up as he drags them off my waist as well as my briefs and pushes them aside. The thud it makes as they drop to the floor is so loud.

He stares at my dick. His eyes glaze over and they flicker up to me. I feel myself nod or blink or make some type of notion for him to continue, because I need…I need him too.

He looks back down and licks his lips. He glances back up at me as he settles in between my thighs and then he just breathes.

A shiver rolls through me that makes my dick flinch. I've never felt that type of heat before. He grins a little and licks down my length, starting at the head. He swirls his tongue.

My jaw locks as my head finds some leverage on the bed. I groan through my teeth.

He licks back up and with his eyes still captivating mine, goes down slowly in one full swallow.

"Ah…!" In an instant, my hands are on his head holding on for dear life. My thighs have lifted, almost wrapping around him, my back arching off the bed. That mouth…it's so hot, so wet, it's just…

His eyebrow twitches as he slowly drags back up, his cheeks suctioning out, pulling harder. My grip loosens but my fingers don't leave his hair.

He pulls off with a pop. His lips glisten and he smirks up at me.

I manage something in return and he goes back down. I feel my eyes begin to roll to the back of my head as I grip his hair and push down. He complies and hums low in his throat, sending vibrations throughout.

I can't…

In a blur, I snatch him up and pin him to the bed on his stomach. I hold his arms as I hover over him, my dick sliding down past his ass and back up. I lean in right next to his ear and just breathe.

His heart spikes in fear and need. He looks back up at me, eyes wide. He's sweating now.

I nibble on his ear and run my tongue down his neck onto the top of his spine. "You don't know how bad I want to fuck you…" I need the place in between his shoulder blades and lick another stripe back up to his ear. A line of goose bumps follow in my lead. “You just don’t…”

"Please…" He groans, his jaw clenching. "Just…please" I can feel him pushing back against me, my dick sliding in between his cheeks. "Please…" He's begging.

Who am I to deny that?

I reach past him to the drawer so fast he doesn't feel me move until a drop of lube slips form my fingers and trails along his skin. His skin vibrates and his hands find a place on the sheets to grip.

I stare down at him as I coat my length. His back arches in the air as his ass sits wide open at attention just for me.

I toss the bottle. I’ve never done anything remotely like this, but I’ve seen how it’s done. I lean and hover over by his ear. "Ready…?"

He grabs my head and pulls me in for a sloppy kiss of teeth and tongue. That's a yes.

I align myself and inch in, slowly. Dangerously slow. My head eases into his tight hole.

His body instantly goes rigid and I freeze. He shakes his head, his cheeks reddening. "No, don't…just…" He gasps in a sharp breath and nods me on. "Move…"

I plant small kisses along his neck as I keep going. I lap out my tongue and taste his skin, his sweat, the origin of his scent. It's maddening.

Inch by inch slides in and I almost bite him. He's hot! He's so hot and soft and wet and it feels so good. He’s empty, but so soft and wet.

He tenses as I slide in. I lick along his spine and look back up at him. I see his fist gripping the sheets, the muscles in his back clenching.

I plant a kiss in the middle of his back. "Relax…" He automatically jerks when I completely fill him up. I can feel him clenching around me and a hoarse groan leaves me. I can see his facial expressions from an angle as he adjusts. His eyes are squeezed tight. Sweat is running down his face.

"If I hurt you…if it's too much…" I say.

He chews on his lip. I watch his face for any indication of un-

"Oh my god, can you just move?" He laughs hoarsely, looking back at me.

Our eyes meet and I nod with a smile and ease out, my hands resting on his hips. It's…oh my god, I can't even explain…

“Mmm…." He twitches as his mouth falls slack. I pull out maybe an inch or two and automatically buck back into him to the hilt. He tenses and clenches his jaw.

"Sorry" I say quickly. A plant a small kiss on his neck.

"Again…" He mumbles, his voice gone.

A grin spreads across my face and I repeat my stroke. He huffs out a moan this time, his hole relaxing around me some but clenching at the same time that just feels…I groan. I can feel the pleasure blooming distantly.

I pull out further and slap into him. He inhales and scoots back on me, rising off the bed onto his elbows. His head drops and he exhales a shaky breath.

His heat is unbearable…I grip his waist and do it again and this time he meets me with an intense push. I moan into the air, my vision blurring. My grip tightens on his waist.

I pump in him in steady, quick jitters, my body losing control with each stutter. His moans grow louder and deeper and he meets me in sweaty thrust, my dick travelling deeper and hotter every time.

He slams back on me and moans so loud, I swear it echoes throughout the house. I rock back out of him slowly and then in the last minute, slam back in. A growl leaves my chest, deep and predatory.

His back arches and he leans back into me. I can feel his heart beating through his back. He drops his head back on my shoulder, breathing hard, his hands claw at my neck. I push up into him and he completely surges off the mattress and the bed frame slides. His eyes open wider and he almost screams in pleasure. I kiss him so hard he can barely breathe but he catches up.

I can feel it now, the pleasure building, stronger. I wrap a hand around his length and jerk him off in time with my thrust.

He cheeks slap against my thighs in a rush to get us both off. His hand locks on my forearm as I move with him. I suck on his neck, anything to stifle the moans bubbling out of my throat. It's too much…-

It's too… "Ugh!" I'm so close…just a few more thrust, just a…mmf! I flip him over, still thrusting into him and drop him on the bed. I lean over him and continue on, fucking into him ruthlessly now. No holding back.

One of his hands drags through my hair and down my back, his nails gouging my skin. A growl erupts from me and our eyes lock.

Thrust. He moans loud, his eyes fluttering close. Thrust. His eyebrows furrow together as he concentrates on the pleasure, his moans turning to pleads and pants. Thrust.

He's close. He's so close and it's…too much…

I lean in and nibble on his ear, licking along the shell. "Come on…come on…cum for me, baby…come on…" My wrist doesn’t stop.

He opens his eyes and in that moment, he comes undone. His mouth opens and a long, hoarse moan struggles its way through his throat as he shoots long thick streams of cum that splatter onto his chest and catch the bottom of his chin and lip. His hole clenches around me and I'm gone.

I slam my lips against his as I push deep inside as far as I can and cum. "Ugghhhhh! Mmmf!" My vision blurs and stars shoot everywhere.

We kiss long and hard as our breathing slows. We break apart and I look him in the eyes. He stares at me with a mesmerized curiosity. His eyes are half lidded and glazed.

I feel my dick softening and I slide out of him. "Shit, I'm sorry!" I back up instantly. "I just-I-" I came inside… "I'm sorry. I-"

He reacts slowly. "No, no…no" He reaches for me. "It's…" He smirks. “…it’s okay…”

I inhale and exhale. "You sure…?" I take a cautious step towards him.

He smiles calmly. "Come here…"

I crawl up the bed to him and slide along top of him, his cum slicking my chest. He kisses me, soft and gentle even though his heart still struggles to calm down. I cradle him in my arms and plant a kiss on his neck. His thighs a wrap around me and his ankles lock.

"That was…" He's lost for words.

"It was…" I can't even place a word. "I wanna say amazing or something like wild or outstanding, but I don't wanna…" He laughs. "What?" I smile innocently.

He chuckles a little and runs his hand through my hair. "It was amazing" He establishes. "It was better than amazing" He smiles. His other hand slides along my left upper arm and rubs circles with his thumb.

"It was perfect…" I say. "It was so perfect" I trace a bruise along his neck with my finger. I can feel the blood pumping directly underneath it. I swallow hard and ignore it.

He smiles and runs a hand down my face. "Yeah…"

We stare at each other and just let it sink in. We had sex. "I'm just…" We just had sex.

He laughs abruptly. "I know, right? My mind is everywhere, retracing everything" He runs his thumb across my bottom lip. "You and those un-detachable lips…" He smiles at them before looking in my eyes, his hand sliding along my cheek. A small yawn rumbles through him.

His eyebrows rise a little. "Your eyes are darker…" He says and then his hand stills. "You're thirsty" There's legit concern in his voice and eyes but there's also fear.

I shake my head gently. "I'm fine" I hold his hand as his fingers slowly move. "I'll handle it …okay?" I lean into his touch.

He smiles an assuring smile but I can see the diminishing fear underlying it. He nods slowly. "Yeah…" His thumb strokes the corner of my eyebrow slowly.

He's scared. "Please…don't be scared of me…" I meet his eyes.

He blinks. "I'm not…" His hand slides up my arm and rests on my shoulder. "I trust you not to hurt me…" His heart continues on a steady rhythm.

I blink slowly and plant a kiss to his palm. "I won't. I promise"

He stares at me and his eyelashes flutter as he glances to the window. "It stopped raining…"

I glance at the window. "Yeah…" The sky is cloudy, but the rain has stopped.

"At least, that's what I can tell through the fogged up windows" He adds, yawning.

I sigh. "Nah, it's done for now. The fog's picked up outside" I look back at him.

He watches me silently. I plant a kiss on his lips. I can feel cum drying on both of our skin. I glance down at it.

"Shower?" He wonders aloud, a smirk rising. I can see the tiredness in his eyes. I've fucked him sleepy.

I smile and shake my head. "In the morning. Hold on" He nods sleepily and rubs at his eyes. I begin to rise but he grabs my hand and pulls me in for a sleepy kiss. I smile at him and walk into the bathroom.

I smile because I'm with him, because tonight was perfect. I turn to the closet and grab a wash cloth. I turn back to the sink and run the hot water. My eyes catch sight of my face in the mirror.

There's my grin, but my eyes. I sigh. They're darkening and the bruises are beginning to show. Few golden specks reside in my black irises. I blink and inhale. Soon, soon.

I run the rag under the water and quickly wipe my chest and stomach before ringing it out and walking back into the dark room.

He’s sleep now. I slip on the tank top and sweats and slide in alongside him and wipe his body off. I watch him sleep peacefully, a few beads of sweat along his forehead. I wipe those away, too and then toss the rag into the bathroom.

I pull one of the throw pillows and snatch the sheet from the top of the bed and lift his head gently and place it under him. He inhales deeply and shifts just the slightest.

I lean on my hand and watch him. His eyelashes have tiny flecks of sweat on them. His lips are dry, but swollen. His chest rises and his right hand lies on the peak of his abs, his index and ring finger twitching slightly.

"You're so beautiful…" He doesn't stir, not even a flutter of his eyelashes. That's alright. He'll hear it in his dreams, hopefully.

I brush a hair off his forehead and plant a kiss there. He moves some more and turns towards me, burying his head in the pillow towards my chest.

I watch him inhale deeply and exhale loosely.

"I love you" I say, a whisper in the dark. It’s such a weight lifted. Wow. It truly is.

I rub a finger along the smoothness of his neck and he stirs ever so slightly.

He inhales again. "…love you, to…Paul…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen to me first before the weapons start flying. Process it and then shoot me your gathered thoughts because I know, that was a lot.
> 
> When I started to write Emmett's point of view and he and Jake's intimacy, I started listening to “The Light” by The Album Light from Scandal. I actually want you all to listen to it and then go back and read that portion. You'll understand the hesitation and emotion much better. I think it gives it so much more behind the words.
> 
> In celebration of the finale of the story, I've decided to give you all a hint. The final chapter for Jacob's Imprint will be titled Clarity and I chose it because the plot was inspired by 'Clarity' by ZEDD ft. Foxes. Check it out if you haven't heard. You may or may not find clues within the lyrics. (side eye…)


	21. Clarity

**Emmett’s P.O.V.**

Why…?

I’ve been sitting here in the same spot since he went to sleep. I’ve been frozen, frigid. Stone.  

Why…?

I want to… I exhale and grind my teeth. I want to scrub him off of me. I want to get- his scent. His sweat, his- my grip rips the edge of the bed to shreds.

His words are ringing, fucking screaming in my ears and won’t stop! I can’t make it stop, no matter how hard I try, it just…it won’t… _“…love you, to…Paul…”_ They’re so loud! Make it stop!

I can’t do this. I inhale a hard, shaky breath. I don’t know what to think. I can’t even begin to think pass his words.

He stirs, a single fidget on the mattress and then he’s still again.

Don’t look at him, don’t look. I bite my lip and close my eyes. My brain forces myself to look down and see his face. See his hair a mess on the pillow, the glowing sky casting shadows on the dips and curves of his bare back, his face.

Everything in me wants to wake him, shake him senseless…and just what? Scream until my voice is raw and figure out what the fuck…?

But I can’t. I want to, but I can’t. I’ve been waiting for him to open his eyes so we can just...

_“…love you, to…Paul…”_

I rub my eyes, try to scrub the memory from my mind. How could I be so fucking stupid? Why didn’t I see it? It was so obvious, it was right in my fucking face and I didn’t see it!

I’ll fucking kill him when I see him, I swear. I’ll fucking kill him.  

He moves again on an inhale and rolls over onto me. His arms brush against my thigh and rest on my side.

I don’t touch him. Even with everything urging me to push him away, I don’t. I keep my hands to myself. Even as the sky lightens and the room changes colors from stormy grey to a neutral shade of blue, even when my skin starts to tickle, I don’t touch him.

I want to, I want to distance myself from everything that he is and I can’t and it’s so fucking frustrating!

Why…?

I need to know. I need answers.

I shake my head and close my eyes. I need to know…

“J…” I hesitate. “…Jacob…”

He shifts again and lets out a groan and then he’s still again.

I almost reach out to shake him, but I resist it. “Jacob” It’s firmer and deeper.

He rolls onto his back. His eyes flutter open momentarily and then squint as they adjust to the faintest light. He exhales and then opens his eyes fully and yawns and then looks to me.

He closes his eyes and gives a small, sleepy smile. “Hey…” He kisses on my thigh and yawns again. He sits up and plants another kiss on my neck, my cheek and then my lips.

It makes my skin burn in a way that I don’t want to acknowledge. I just look at him.

He studies me when I don’t react and his eyebrows meet. “You okay?” He blinks and his smile drops. “Emmett?”

I look away from him. I cross my arms at my chest and swallow down the growl building in my chest. Stay calm.

  _“…love you, to…Paul…”_

Stay calm, Emmett…

His hand sends heat searing into my bones as he turns my face towards him gently. “What’s wrong?” His eyes dance with mine, a dance I don’t want to participate in. His hand falls into his lap and then slides onto thigh.

I exhale. Relax, Emmett, relax. I ignore his hand and hold my ground.

“Emmett…?” His hand strokes my cheek. His fingers brush along the hairs behind my ear. “Tell me what’s wrong…”

I swallow and inhale deeply. “I want to know something…” I focus on the wall. “…and… I want you to be completely honest with me…nothing but the truth”

He hesitates and I can almost feel the confusion emitting from him as he nods slowly. “…okay…”

I swallow a deep breathe before looking back at him. “…what is…what is Paul to you?” His name rolls off my tongue like venom.

The hand on my cheek freezes. He blinks once, his eyelashes fluttering and then he pulls his hand away. He drops my gaze and scoots away from me.

He stares off into the life beyond the window. “He’s my…” His breath shakes as he inhales. “…pack brother” He says, slowly looking me in the eyes.

I can hear his heart spike, louder than the rough huff of his breath. “…and what else?”

His mouth opens but no words come out. His eyes are just as foggy as the windows. He swallows and scoots back some more, crossing his legs. His hands fall in his lap. He cautiously glances up. “Why do you-”

I shake my head abruptly. “Just…” I exhale. Stay calm... “…just answer me…please…”

He looks up at me and drops his gaze again. He’s quiet for a long time.

My jaw locks. “Just-”

“He…he imprinted…on me…” His voice withers.

I blink. _“He...he imprinted…on me…”_ “He…” I swallow because now my heart is in my mouth. “That…no…”

No.

No. _“…love you, to…Paul…”_

His words wash over me and close off everything else. “He imprinted on you…” I finally get the courage to say it aloud. The words scrape out of my throat like metal on asphalt.

He doesn’t say anything.

“He…” It’s fucking acid on my tongue. “He…he loves you, doesn’t he?”

Still no response.

“And you love him…”

Nothing.

I blink away. “Jesus, Jacob, say something!” I glare down at him. “Why didn’t you…” My voice rises. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His eyes are glossy. “I…” He searches for words, for lies, I can see it all in his face. “I didn’t know how to without…” He closes his eyes and the rain begins. “I didn’t want to hurt you…’

“You…” I close my eyes and, oddly enough, a chuckle ripples through me as I get to my feet. “Didn’t want to hurt me…” I run a hand through my hair. “Do you remember what I said to you, just as you were going to sleep…?” My throat contracts as I swallow. The memory returns but I don’t want to see it.

He blinks, his eyelashes slinging tears everywhere. “You…you said…” He inhales shakily. “You said you loved me…” He mutters quietly. It’s so full of regret. “Em-”

It’s killing me to even think it. “…and…what did you say back…what did you say?” His eyes are brimming. “What…did…you…say!?”

He doesn’t speak and his cries grow louder.

“Say something!” My voice rattles the window and a crack sounds.

He flinches, heart rate spazzing. “I...I…” He chokes on words, more lies. “I…I didn’t want to hurt you…”

“But you did hurt me! You did!” My voice starts to shake and I don’t even try to hide the pain anymore. “You did!” I don’t give a shit anymore. “I’ve given up…” My shoulders rise. “Everything for you and…and you just…! FUCK!” I grab the closest thing to me and haul it across the room. It shatters the window and every piece of glass tumbles to the ground.

He trembles on the bed.

The rage slips from my grasp. “I…” My hands fall to my sides. “I fell for you…” I shake my head. It’s hard…“As hard as it was for me to accept everything that was going on, I fell” I can’t even look at him. “You changed me…” I breathe and rub at my eyes.

He cries and whimpers, rocking back and forth, his sobs echoing around the room.

All the fight drains out of me. “I love you. I do, I love you and you have no idea how long it took me to admit that, to say it aloud to anyone but myself in the mirror! How hard it was to accept the fact that you and I were supposed to be together and you just…do this…” My voice wavers. My jaw clenches and I can’t do this anymore. “You broke me…” It sinks in for the first time. “I’m broken”    

He stares at the bed mortified.

There’s nothing left to be said. There’s nothing at all. “Just…leave”

His head jerks up and then he’s crawling towards me. “Emmett, no. I’m so sorry, okay, I-”

I turn my back on him. “Please, just…leave me alone” After everything… “Just go…”

It’s silent outside of his sobs and then he’s up and dressing himself. This moment stretches on forever before it falls silent again.

“Emmett, I-”

I turn on him. “JUST GO!” My voice cracks, but I mean. I swear I fucking mean it.

He flinches back away from me and everything in him shatters. Before the tears gush again, he turns and jumps out the broken window.

I resist the urge, the white hot pull in my gut to run to the edge and make sure he’s okay, to find him and apologize and cradle him in my arms. But I don’t. I don’t run, I don’t say anything, I don’t move from where I stand. I ignore the sound of his feet thundering away until its dead silent.

And then my breath comes in ragged huffs and I crumble to the floor.

Why? Why didn’t he just tell me…? Was I not worth it?

I loved him, I fucking loved him. It hurts. It hurts so fucking bad. My heart feels like it’s literally broken in two and he took the other half with him. I never thought it could hurt like this but it does!

Rosalie, she was nothing, nothing compared to this. I knew from the very beginning that we would never be perfect together, that eventually she wouldn’t be shit, but this… She’s nothing compared to this.

He broke me.

I pull my knees close and bury my face in my arms. I hate him for making me feel like this. I hate him so much. Every time I breathe, his scent invades me.

_“…love you, to…Paul…”_

I grind my teeth together. “JUST STOP!” I want to forget everything. I don’t want to remember, I don’t want to at all. Take it all, leave me with nothing but non-existence. Take me away.

There’s a click of heels in the hall and then a sigh in the doorway. “Oh, Emmett…” I don’t even have to look up to her to see her face. “Really?” She walks into the room, her heels piercing the carpet. “What is wrong with you?”

“Leave me alone” I don’t want to deal with her.

Another sigh. “Spicy today, are we” She walks over to the closest. “Well, don’t mind me. Just grabbing a few things and I’ll let you get back to your…sulking” Hangers slide across the pole. “And why does it smell like dog shit in here?”

I grind my teeth together and look up at her.

She’s not paying me any mind. “There we are, Versace and Dior and Fendi…” She takes them out and tosses them on her arm.

I look away from her. “Just leave already” I can see her look at me out of my peripheral.

“Hm…” She takes out something else and then turns and then kicks something across the floor. I look down at the bottle of lube at her feet. Just the sight of it tugs at my gut and there’s that white hot poker again.

She raises her eyebrows and looks up to me. I look at her. She lolls her head and smiles. “You know, I was wondering what’s got you so riled up” She purses her lips. “And why it smells like shit in here. You’ve been having some fun”

I get up and leave. I’m not doing this, but she’s a step behind me.

“But wait. We were having such a lovely chat” She says. “Oh, and by the way. I just saw whats-his-name, uhm…” She pauses. “Jacob, the mutt”

I almost stop at the bottom of the second flight of stairs. It’s so instantaneous, so sudden that she picks up on it immediately and then there’s that chuckle that whistles in her throat.

My jaw turns to stone. She steps down past me and turns. “Yeah, just thought I’d mention it, because…” Her voice drops low and her eyes glitter. She reaches out and thumbs my shirt. “I can smell him on you…”

“ _Don’t_ touch me” I smack her hand away and keep going down the stairs.

She smirks and follows me. “Oh? He can touch you, but I can’t? Well, isn’t that’s cute” I don’t stop this time. “And what’s great is that you haven’t denied it one bit”

My fist ball.

“Seems off and a tad bit suspicious if you ask m-”

“I didn’t fucking ask you!” I turn on her. “Just STOP! Just stop fucking talking! You don’t know shit! Why do you always push my fucking buttons? Just…stop!” She just looks at me. “Just shut the fuck up and drop it!”

She rocks back and looks me over with amusement all over her face. “Aw, isn’t that sweet…”

I can’t do this. “Fuck you. Stay the fuck away from me!” I walk out the house and go down the driveway. I just need to get away from here and I can smell him as I walk and it fucking drives me insane. I don’t know where to go, but I just need…I need to leave now.

“Aw, love. He must have hurt you bad to have you act out like this” She laughs.

I skid to a halt. I’ve fucking had it. I run back and slam her against the wall by her throat. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” I feel the marble cracking underneath my hand, but she smiles regardless. “You don’t know shit!”

She places her hand on top of mine. “Aw, did I strike a nerve?” She kicks me in my stomach and locks her legs around my waist and flips me over onto my back. The steps crumble.

She stands and stomps her heel in the middle of my chest. “Bitch move” She turns away with a hair flip. “It’s not my fault your poodle couldn’t handle the dick”

“I’ve fucking had it with you!” I get up and swing on her and send her flying into the thicket and she disappears. The trees fall one by one as she smashes through them.

“I’ve had it with everything!” I breathe for what feels like the first time in centuries and take my time tracking her down. “Everything you say and do is bullshit! You don’t love anybody else but yourself!” I walk up on the cliff leading down to the valley.

A mile out, trees start falling and birds rocket out of the trees. There’s a thunderous crack as the breaks the ones shielding her from my view in half. The glare she gives me is murderous.

“Quit whining like a bitch” She snatches sticks and dirt from her hair and takes off her jacket.

“You wanna play? Let’s play” I hop down from the cliff and she crosses the expanse with a vengeance.

Her punches are savage, but I wreck her. She catches me by my arm and slings me away. My back smacks the trees as I fly like toothpicks. I break my fall and drop to the ground.

I look up in time to see her charge. I grab the shattered trunk and swing. She flies back and I’m hot on her ass. She lands and crosses her arms.

She starts walking. “You done?” She cocks her neck.

“Not by a long shot” She comes for me and I hit her dead in her nose. She doesn’t stagger, but retaliates with an uppercut. If I was human, that shit would’ve shattered my entire skull.

I clip her legs and snatch her up by her ankle and bring her down to the ground like lightening. She kicks me in the face and flips off me. I wipe the dirt out my eyes quick. She’s smiling again.

“I’m surprised you didn’t kill him” She smirks and starts moving around me. “Bet you wanted to, huh?” My eyes don’t leave her. “Drill him deep then suck him dry till there’s nothing left to keep him going…” Her eyes twinkle. “I wonder how he tastes…warm and thick…”

I snatch her by her hair and drag her into the ground and slam my foot into her neck. She fights me off, but I stomp her deep into the dirt until I can’t see her face anymore. A growl rips from her throat.

There’s a flash of color and hair and then my arms are bound behind my neck in a choke hold. I thrash and swing and fight it off, but it’s not use. “LET ME GO!”

Alice snatches her up before she can retaliate against me and holds her back with the same brute force.

“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” I roar, but Jasper holds tight and his arms rut into my throat. I can’t breathe. I elbow and head-butt him, but he doesn’t break.

“Not until you calm down…” His voice is so thick with reason and calm and reassurance. I feel his power washing over me, but I fight it with everything I got.

I don’t want to calm down. I want to destroy her. I want to crack her fucking skull and feel it crumble to dust in my fingers. “LET ME FUCKING GO!”

She fucking watches me with content and it makes me sick. “You happy now?”

“Stay calm, Emmett. Calm down…” Jasper says in my ear.

I grind my jaw and I close my eyes and breathe. It’s no use. I let his power work, the calmness falling over me like rain, turning my conscience into a place of solitude. My muscles relax, but Jasper still holds me. I swallow and open my eyes. Calm.

“Let me go” I don’t sound like myself, but he lets go and takes a step back.

I shake off the tightness, but I don’t look her way. I only point with a strong hand. “Stay the fuck away from me. We’re done”

I hear her smile. “Fine with me. I’m sure you and your mutt will be very happy together”

I don’t entertain it. I let her go and she drops away like dead weight. There’s an air on my shoulders that’s never been there before. I just turn and walk away.

“Wait, Emmett!” Alice calls. “Where are you going?”

I don’t turn back.

I can’t do this anymore.

**Jacob’s P.O.V.**

_“JUST GO!”_

Everything is over.

Emmett…

I can’t cry anymore. Everything is shattered and done with. There is no more crying for me.

_“JUST GO!”_

I clutch at my chest. It hurts so much! My heart feels like it’s been ripped away from me. I pull my body closer in the mud. It hurts so much!

_“Why didn’t you tell me!”_

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Emmett. His rage and heartbreak is tattooed into my memory. It’s all I see, his pain…the pain I caused.

_“JUST GO!”_

I’m so sorry Emmett. The brisk air whips at me as if its punishment.

How could I be so stupid? Why didn’t I tell him when Pa… I can’t even think his name. His smiling face etches itself right alongside Emmett’s and I can’t do this anymore!

_“JUST GO!”_

I’m so stupid. To think that this would work, to juggle both of them at the same time and not have any repercussions was insanity. Why did I do this to them?

How the fuck could I be so cruel? I fucked with Paul’s heart and destroyed Emmett’s!

Why did this happen to me? How did I let it happen?

I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask for any of this, not this fucking imprint, not this life, I didn’t ask for none of it!

_“JUST GO!”_

Tears fall anyway.

_“You broke me…”_

I can’t take this anymore. This, everything that’s happened, it’s too much. I can’t live with this, the guilt that I’ve fucked up his life, both of their lives. My life. I’m the cause for their heartbreak.

It’s too much.

Cold water sprays up over the edge of the cliff. When it touches me, it strikes my skin numb. That’s what I am. Numb.

I don’t deserve this life. I crawl on my knees to the edge of the cliff and look down. The water is churning black and the waves are threatening. The sharp edges of the jagged rocks at the surface pierce the water’s edge. It’s inviting.

I stagger to my feet. I feel my heart in my throat, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t deserve this. I don’t bother to wipe the tears spilling off. There’s no need.

Nobody will miss me. Dad, Rachel, Becca, Bella, Sam, Seth…Emmett…Paul… They won’t miss me.

I just want this heartbreak to stop. This is the only way to get rid of everything.

I take one unsteady step onto the air and…I’m falling.

I close my eyes as the black water races to meet me.

_“You broke me…”_

I’m sorry.

My body strikes the water and the rocks cut into me and then I am plunged into the darkness.

_“I’m broken”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll take a moment of silence as the writer of this. Wow.
> 
> Catch your breath because I know this was a lot to take in as a finale. I know many of you, if not all, were gearing up to a happy ending that involved a possible threesome and frolicking in the meadows and whatnot. Unfortunately, I can assure you that neither of those will happen.
> 
> I felt like this was the most appropriate ending possible. I had a few others in mind, but not as emotional as this one. My heart was heavy writing this. It was hard to even gather the right mindset to write the right emotions and actions for Jacob and Emmett, but I did it…
> 
> I’m literally sitting here at 2 in the morning trying to find the right thing to say and I don’t have anything. 
> 
> Actually, I do. I want to say thank you all so much for reading this! This has been the first story that I’ve ever posted anywhere and I’m very grateful for the feedback and fan base I’ve gained within these past few years. It has been a pleasure!
> 
> So…it’s officially a wrap for Jacob’s Imprint, huh. It’s been a really fun and exciting journey writing this, but actually I’m glad it’s over. This took so much out of me, it was maddening at times, but it was great. I loved working on this. 
> 
> Here’s what I propose. I know you all will send in your reviews and emotions and things, but do me a favor? Send me some questions you’ve always had since you started the story. Go back, re-read everything and ask me anything you like. There are some things I will keep to myself for the sake of the story and I will tell you so, but everything else is fair game.   
> And I get it. Once a fanfiction ends, it’s like, “Well, what now…?” because you wish some stories can just go on forever. I myself am an avid reader, so I understand. 
> 
> So…well, the best way to sign off on this is to end on a cliffhanger, don’t you think?
> 
> The sequel to Jacob’s Imprint will be titled Crossroads and will pick up right after this chapter. 
> 
> Give me a few weeks to finish writing the first chapter. If you got any ideas and theories of what happens next, send them in now while I’m still writing!
> 
> Again, thanks for reading!


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